Review
Inca Empire
Inca Empire is an older, modest route builder with a useful place at the table: a brisk, tight Euro fix. Its simplicity is not an absence of design, but the frame for decisions that matter.
- Published
- 2010
- Designer
- Alan D. Ernstein
- Publisher
- White Goblin Games, Z-Man Games
- Players
- 3–4
- Playing time
- 120 min
Inca Empire is the sort of older game that does not need to make a fuss to earn shelf space. You begin in the heart of the Aztec nation and spread an empire across the board; it is a route builder that remains clean, direct, and pleasingly taut.
At its centre are route building and the expansion of that empire, with no unnecessary layers piled on top. Downtime is minimal, so the game keeps moving and decisions are not swallowed by waiting; a light Euro with a sensible idea of its own footprint.
The interesting decision is in the sun cards, which can help or hinder the players' actions.
TheTrainSpotter
The interesting decision is in the sun cards, which can help or hinder the players' actions. That is where the interaction and the different strategic lines reside, while the various catch-up mechanisms keep the contest alive rather than handing it early to whoever happened to move ahead.
It does not pretend to have reinvented the Euro, but as a light opener or closer for an evening of Eurogaming, it is quietly excellent.
It does not pretend to have reinvented the Euro, but as a light opener or closer for an evening of Eurogaming, it is quietly excellent.
TheTrainSpotter
Source: BoardGameGeek
0 comments
Sign in to react or comment.
