Tasty Minstrel Games Orléans Board Game

I really enjoy Orleans' version of worker placement: (a) each action requires 2 or 3 workers (round discs) of varied colors, (b) Most actions I take give me another worker in a specific color, (c) at the start of each of the 16 rounds I randomly draw a cwrtain # of workers out of my bag. So it's like a deck building game, but with round discs which are my workers. That's not the only thing I like, but that's its unique-amongst-my-sizeable-Euro-game-collection contribution.Scores a very high 8/10 on BoardGameGeek for good reason! Great medium-weight Euro-game. Nice, thick pieces; good theme; nice graphics; nice addition to my collection. How-to-play video tutorials available from gamer nerds in the usual internet locations (BGG, YT, etc): do look up and watch if you're considering purchase.

I bought this game for a number of reasons;- I like, “point salad” games. That is, games that have multiple paths to acquiring victory points. Games like Pulsar 2849 or Rajas of the Ganges.- Randomness of the workers. That’s to say, you randomly unveil workers that you then have to distribute in the best way possible. Games like Alien Frontiers.- “bag building”. Much like deck builders, you acquire new pieces and then place them in a bag which you’ll draw randomly from. Games like Roll for the Galaxy.- Action selection. Everyone has the same player boards in front of them and (unlike a-symmetrical games like Scythe) it’s about trying to acquire workers for your unique strategy. Though you all have the same options, what road you go down is your own.This game is quite simply, amazing. It’s very easy to learn but can become quite the brain twister as you try to determine what “townsfolk” you want to put into your bag for the next round. You’ll have 28 rounds to pull it all off. Those 18 rounds are determined by (3X)6 tiles that are randomly shuffled before the game. Maybe in the second round you’ll have to pay 1 coin for the goods you just acquired? Maybe everybody else will get one coin for every trade house they built on the map while you failed to do it because...THATS JUST NOT YOUR STRATEGY!.Magnificent. The game also offers some pretty nice expansions.This does bring me to a couple of gripes;- The Trade and Intrigue expansion offers a new Beneficial Deeds board that quite frankly, should have been THE board all along. The one in the base game offers up money and is pretty stale. It’s not useless, but unless you have some townsfolk to dump...you probably won’t look to it as a viable strategy.- why did they not label the different tracks on the board? Just the titles of each (again, on the board) would have been great.The game isn’t necessarily a, “real time” game but drawing from your bag and assigning townsfolk can be done simultaneously to speed up play.The quality of the components is top notch with probably the thickest card board pieces I have ever seen in a game. The art is quaint but very enjoyable.I highly recommend this game if you’re looking for a little bit of randomness, a lot of strategy and an easy teach. I’d say it’s “mid level” in complexity but maybe even a little lower then that? The number of actions to choose from might have some over thinking it but ultimately, it’s pretty easy to learn. Just one of those, “hard to master” games.

This game is a Medieval-French-city-themed game that has really nice components (more on that later) and is fun to play. There are lots of ways to achieve goals in this game and I always appreciate options in gameplay. The only reason this game doesn't get to my table more (my wife and I end up playing Troyes more often) is because this game has a lot of bits and tokens. The box is actually quite heavy for its size. Setup up and take-down can be laborious with this game, but it really is enjoyable to play and looks great on the table.

Probably one of the top 20 worker placement games ever made, not for beginners, but not so deep as to intimidate those who want more than the challenge of Lords of Waterdeep or Settlers of Catan or some such game. The game routinely makes favorite lists. It's excellently produced, with quality pieces. Certainly a modern classic in hobby board gaming.

I love this game! Having to adapt your strategy on the fly based on which chits you pull out of your bag is quite satisfying when you can place every one into the right action spots to pull off a combo that puts you ahead of your opponents.Super clever and challenging. I highly recommend.

Big board gamer. Definitely can see why this game ranks so high on BGG.com. Easily slides into a top 5 or 6 game for me. You HAVE to get the expansion with the upgraded board: Intrigue Expansion.

Great game. Medium to heavy weight Euro. With four folks, takes about two hours. Lots of decisions but fast-moving. This is not a "fun" game, but a good strategy game. If you like deep thought, this is for you. Not much player interaction, not a party type of game, but a great game for those who like many paths to victory. Good components.

I bought this board game on a whim for my husband after reading many positive reviews. It is so much fun! It has become a tradition in our family to plan this game on Thanksgiving. It is slightly more complicated than Settlers of Catan, but more fun (in my opinion). Beautifully illustrated, fun concept, and plays in an hour or so.