Keyflower

Keyflower is one of those old favourites that comes back to the table like an old friend: you know it will make life difficult, and you are pleased to see it anyway. We paired it with Merchants this time, and had a pleasant game, if not one of our very best.

Merchants puts hidden scoring elements into the final season, shifting part of the tension from the obvious to: what are you setting up over there, and why are you smiling like that? In theory, it also cuts down the analysis paralysis at that point, because not every scoring consideration is sitting in plain view demanding another round of arithmetic.

The other side is that a few of its buildings can feel slightly broken, particularly when the rule that doubles their score comes into play. The game does have honest counterbidding: you can go over and spoil somebody else's plan, provided you have seen this story before and react in time. We were a little rusty and let it catch us out. Then the table bites.

I would not call it a problem that ruins Keyflower, but it is one corner of Merchants that needs a sharp eye and a good memory. For a group that knows how to push back properly, it remains a very good reason to put the game on the table again.