Rococo: Deluxe Edition

Kramer's Rococo was one of those games I passed over the first time around, but EGG's Deluxe Edition has that dangerous quality: even if it misses, you will at least enjoy seeing it on the shelf. This one did not stay there. It is a euro that shows its age and its different priorities beside newer designs, but it remains substantial and very pleasant to play.

At its centre is restrained deck building feeding a light engine builder, with resources to manage and space to claim. Each round asks you to develop your little machine, line up what you need, and avoid spending more brainpower than a good evening at the table can reasonably bear. There is proper planning here, but it never demands that you redline your head.

The other players are not merely admiring your haute couture. Without the jewellers, the denials appear considerably harsher; with them, the game relaxes a little, though a new money sink and several strong cards arrive as compensation. At four, the room tightens and the mood changes at once: a pin or a piece of lace you had your eye on becomes a small personal tragedy. Then the stabbing starts.

The expansion is easy to add and remove, so you can choose between the gentler game and the sterner original shape. I would play it whenever the group asked; it is one of those euros that needs no excuse to return to the table.

Updated session

The four-player game confirmed the first impression, but with a noticeably tighter dynamic. I would leave out the promo dress set that scores no end-game points, because it can restrict players' options too severely, and I probably would not choose Rococo at five unless the group actively wanted to set it on fire. At four, though, Rococo remains a euro I am happy to play whenever someone suggests it.