Thebai

Thebai could easily be mistaken for a game in the T series: the title practically says so, and the overall design reinforces the impression. It is also a very handsome production. The attempt to rebuild the Cadmea, while Parthenopaeus and his mates are getting ready to wreak havoc, carries real weight on the table. I do not expect it to retell Aeschylus' tragedy through names and references, but the seven gates and seven generals are enough to show that the theme was in the design's mind from the beginning. This is not another theme simply pasted onto a euro.

Mechanically, it is a rather clever mixed bag of tableau building, pattern matching, dice placement, and set collection. Each player has politician dice of different strengths and decides whether to place them in spaces on their personal tableau or on the map to take actions. Those actions are mostly about rebuilding the acropolis: opening new slots on the player board and the map, gathering materials, and improving your dice.

The broad plan is to trade, upgrade your dice in order to unlock end-game conditions, and at the same time protect the city from invaders who may emerge from a gate no one knows in advance. Interaction lies precisely in that shared threat and in the map actions, while the flow remains clear: turns are generally short, the rules are easy to grasp, and I was not left with many questions about what I was allowed to do.

It does have the classic “accordion turns” problem. One player may take half an action in twenty seconds, while the next one unfolds three extra actions, triggers their little gizmo, spins the whatsit, and teleports a die to invent the non-melting lollipop. At least, unlike what often happens in games of this kind, everyone will get both their short and their big turns in a fair proportion—just not at the same time.

At three, that did not bother me at all and the game flowed nicely. At four, though, I would be more cautious: its character changes, as does the dynamic of certain actions and strategies, especially those concerning the city's defence. With good artwork, sensible and predictable scoring, and no needless rules overhead, Thebai is one of the year's very good euros. See you soon—hopefully with impressions of our beloved little dinosaurs.