Rococo: Deluxe Edition

Rococo was a Kramer game I had passed over when it first came out. Back in 2013 we were deep in our full-on Ameritrash phase, with our love for FFG shaping a lot of our tastes, and neither the theme nor its lean deck-building had really grabbed us. In an EGG Deluxe edition, though, it is hard to say no if money is not the issue: at worst, you have a beautiful object on the shelf. Here, however, the success is twofold, because beneath the luxury there is also a very good game that still stands comfortably today.

At its core, it is a light engine builder with resource management and area control. Its deck-building approach is lean, but it has plenty of substance: you gradually build up your capabilities, manage what you need, and try to plan your moves honestly without pushing the thinking meter into overdrive. The tailoring theme fits this process nicely, and the game flows very pleasantly.

Interaction mainly comes through the shared space and through how many options remain available to everyone else. With the jewellers expansion, the game becomes somewhat more relaxed, even though it introduces a new money sink, while also granting access to several powerful cards. Without it, I imagine the game would be much harsher, with far more cutoffs than I would want to see in a euro. The good news is that the expansion is as easy to add as it is to remove, so anyone wanting to try the original version can do so without any fuss.

So, for me, Rococo: Deluxe Edition comes unreservedly recommended. It looks wonderful on the table, is enjoyable to play, and has enough depth that its deluxe presence feels justified beyond merely sitting on the shelf.

Updated session

Our return to it, this time with four players, confirmed the positive impression but clearly changed the dynamic: the game was tighter. Its age and its different approach compared with modern euros show, as they do in Yedo, but that does not make it bad in any way; it remains one of those games I will happily play whenever someone asks. I might remove the promo dress set that gives no points at the end, because it can restrict players’ choices too much. I would probably avoid it with five, unless the group deliberately wants to set it on fire and turn pins and lace into proper stabbing.