The Godfather: Corleone's Empire

I admit I came to the table carrying every prejudice I had: CMON, miniatures, and Lang is a combination that usually sets off warning lights for me. And yet, I was happy to embrace the heresy here. The Godfather: Corleone's Empire does not try to dazzle me with fanfare; it drops me straight into a fast, thematic, and very enjoyably argumentative game.

At its core, it is pure area control. Players contest space and influence, while the flow stays brisk and never overstays its welcome. You do not need to bury it under endless analysis for it to work: the game keeps you involved in the conflict and moves along at a pleasing pace.

The interaction is exactly where I want it for the theme: it has the right dose of take-that and forces you to watch what everyone else is doing, rather than just tending to your own part of the map. It did not feel clumsy or excessively hostile to me; it is the necessary pressure that makes fighting for control matter and gets the table talking.

The result is a terrific game at what it promises to be. Full theme, a short duration, fast gameplay, and enough flavour that I can see it becoming a favourite at our larger gatherings. I would not call it earth-shattering or a new benchmark for the genre, but it is a breezy 8 out of 10 and, now that it can also be found at a good price, even easier to recommend. Those who found it too cerebral probably just let a good game pass them by.

Updated session

The second game, a relaxed and friendly five-player session, confirmed rather than changed my first impression. After the heavy ghost of Trickerion hanging over the table and plenty of grumbling at the prospect of another such dud, The Godfather arrived at precisely the right moment and soared. It did not suddenly become a more important game than it is, but in the right mood and with the right group, it has plenty of substance. Take the cannoli, baby.