Plunderbund

Plunderbund was one of those games I picked up mainly because it accommodates the increasingly common Friday-night group of five. It does not look especially striking, and at first it gave me the impression of a rather lukewarm deck builder with an economic wrapper. Once the group understands what it is doing, though, it starts showing much more character.

There are merchants on the board, from 12 to 18 depending on the players and the cards included in the game. By playing cards, I send agents to sell goods or racketeers to take the merchants’ money by force. Each round, random demand tiles come out of the bag, and that is where it is decided who can sell most effectively, provided they have the required production, of course.

Even though I draft only six cards for my deck over the entire game, the engine building feels much stronger than that sounds. The deck cycles quickly, so those choices return often, and players are constantly entangled in the same market: one player is trying to meet demand, while another sends in racketeers to snatch cash. It creates a lovely mess without leaving anyone sitting around waiting.

It is not the sort of game that sells itself from the look of its box, nor is it the most impressive deck builder on first contact. But it is an enjoyable, quick, and lively game once you get the point of it. For large, relaxed groups—and especially for that regular group of five—I can comfortably recommend it.