Symphony No.9

To me, Symphony No.9 is the logical evolution of Tulip Bubble in a more euro direction, without becoming noticeably more complicated. And yes, let us pause for a moment over Moideas’ familiar compact, elegant box: it is exactly the same size as its previous siblings, and that neat little family display satisfies my OCD completely.

At its core is bidding. Players have to move through bids and choices, trying to make the best use of the opportunities that open up on the table. It is a proper eurogame, with decisions that carry weight, yet without demanding that you bring an entire preparation manual along with you.

The interaction comes precisely from that bidding: my choices do not exist in a vacuum, because other players’ bids and moves directly affect what I can pursue. I will not go into further detail here—the game deserves an article of its own—but the gameplay has that pleasing, complete euro feel that I want from such a small box.

The game left us buzzing with positive energy and, honestly, I think it delivered the necessary pain. An easy 9/10 from me. For a while, though, it probably will not be the easiest game to find, since I have the impression that it was sold to TMG during the show.