Skyliners (2015) Board Game – Board Game Guys

Skyliners is a city-building board game released in 2015 by designer Gabriele Bubola and published by Hans im Glück. The game challenges players to strategically build skyscrapers and create the most impressive skyline.

Game Components of Skyliners

Game board: Fits inside the game box, creating a unique 5×5 grid.

Building pieces: Each player has 12 floors, 10 antennas, 2 roofs, and 1 park.

Starting setup cards: Six cards used for initial placement of neutral pieces.

Skyscraper cards: Each player receives one, indicating a quadrant for bonus points.

Planning cards: Used in games with two or three players to predict visible structures.

How To Setup Skyliners

To set up the game, players empty the components from the box and place the game board on top of the box insert. Each player selects an edge of the board and takes the corresponding colored pieces. A park is placed in the middle space of the board, and six starting setup cards are drawn. The youngest player begins by placing a neutral piece according to the first card, and this process continues until all six cards are addressed, placing six neutral pieces on the board.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Objective: The goal is to have the best skyline from your edge of the board, scoring points for each visible structure.

Turn Structure: Players take two actions per turn: construction or planning (in games with two or three players).

Construction: Players place floors, antennas, roofs, and parks to build their skyline.

Planning: In games with two or three players, players predict how many structures they will see in a row.

Scoring: Points are awarded for visible structures, with bonus points for antennas and the highest structure in the quadrant indicated on the skyscraper card.

Game End: The game concludes when all building pieces have been placed, and the player with the most points wins.

Player Experience

Skyliners offers a fast-paced and engaging experience with gameplay that typically lasts 20-25 minutes. The game requires strategic thinking but avoids analysis paralysis, making it a great filler game. Players need to anticipate their opponents’ moves and be prepared to cut their losses when necessary. The game’s unique mechanism of building from different perspectives adds a fun and challenging layer, reminiscent of games like Kramer and Kiesling’s Pueblo and Seyfarth’s Manhattan.

Pros

Fast-paced gameplay: Quick turns keep the game moving.

Strategic depth: Requires planning and anticipation of opponents’ moves.

Family-friendly: Engaging and easy to understand rules.

Unique components: The game board and pieces create a visually appealing skyline.

Cons

Limited player interaction in some scenarios: Planning actions can feel somewhat solitary.

Dependence on player count: Gameplay mechanics vary significantly between two-three players and four players.

Personal Thoughts on Skyliners

Skyliners is ideal for those who enjoy strategic games with a touch of unpredictability and visual appeal. It’s a great addition to game nights as a filler or to pass the time while waiting for another game to start. The game’s theme and mechanics make it accessible to a wide range of players, from casual gamers to those looking for a light but engaging strategy game.

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