Propolis

Having covered the preferences of the younger crowd, I am closing the circle of summer fillers with my own top pick. AEG and Molly Johnson are usually a safe promise of something interesting, although in some of her designs I had started to sense a tendency towards self-repetition. Fortunately, Propolis does not belong in that category: it felt relatively fresh to me, and noticeably more complex than the others in its class.

At its core, it is a light city builder with resource management. What I liked is that its economy is not there merely to fill time; it gives the game a pleasing sense of organisation, as I try to make effective use of what I have available in order to build efficiently.

The flow remains quick and light without losing all of its interest. In roughly 40–50 minutes, it sets up a proper little city-building game: enough for me to feel that I built something, but without turning into a heavy table experience or a marathon of decisions.

Propolis gave me some very nice vibes, and I honestly wonder why I had not played it sooner. It will not remain merely an emergency summer option; I will happily serve it at a more proper table too.

Ad break, and we return with the report from BLTG’s tenth-anniversary executive retreat, featuring heavy euro and Kanonenfieber.