Symphony No.9

Symphony No.9 is the natural progression from Tulip Bubble: more firmly a eurogame, without becoming heavier for the sake of it. Before it even reaches the table, it earns a small grown-up affection point from me: Moideas has kept the compact, elegant box in line with its earlier siblings, which is precisely the sort of shelf order that comforts a mind after a Tuesday at work.

At its centre is a proper bidding game. Play moves through rounds of deciding which opportunities are worth pursuing, then deciding how much you can afford to commit to them. The point is not merely to bid high; it is to judge value before your position has paid too dearly for it.

The other players supply the pressure. Their bids change the shape of the board, remove openings and make you reconsider your plans, while the design keeps its clarity and poise. This is a eurogame with real tension across the table, not a pile of rules asking to be admired for having arrived.

It is not much more complicated than its predecessor, but it delivers the necessary pain in its decisions. An easy 9/10 for me, and quietly, plainly, an excellent bidding eurogame.