Orléans (2014) Board Game – Board Game Guys

Orléans is a Euro-style board game designed by Reiner Stockhausen and released in 2014 by dlp games. The game is set in medieval France and players take on the roles of merchants seeking to expand their influence and wealth in the city of Orléans. With its unique deck, bag, and pool building mechanics, Orléans has become a popular choice among board game enthusiasts.

Game Components of Orléans

Small cardboard tokens representing various citizens (farmers, boatmen, craftsmen, traders, knights, scholars, and monks)

Individual player boards

Game board featuring a map of medieval France

Trading stations and tools

Development track

Beneficial Deeds board

Coins and goods

Indulgence cards

Corpse tokens

Felt bags for token drawing

How To Setup Orléans

Setting up Orléans involves each player starting with a set of basic tokens (a farmer, a boatman, a craftsman, and a trader) which are placed in their individual felt bags. The game board is laid out, showing the map of medieval France and various action spaces. Each player sets up their player board and places their merchant figure on the starting location. The development track and Beneficial Deeds board are also prepared according to the rules.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Deck, Bag, and Pool Building: Players draw tokens from their bags and use them to perform actions on their player boards.

Worker Placement: Tokens are placed on action spaces to perform various tasks such as recruiting followers, moving the merchant figure, building trading stations, and advancing on the development track.

Simultaneous Action Selection: Players plan their actions simultaneously and announce them in turn order if necessary.

Tech Trees / Tech Tracks: Progression on the development track rewards players with victory points and additional citizens.

End Game Bonuses: Points are awarded for completed Beneficial Deeds, trading stations, and development track progress.

Objective: The goal is to gain supremacy through trade, construction, and science by strategically using the abilities of the recruited followers and optimizing the use of resources.

Player Experience

Orléans offers a rich and engaging experience with multiple paths to victory. Players must strategically recruit and utilize various types of followers to achieve their goals. The game is known for its high replayability, as the random draw of tokens and the variety of actions available ensure that each game is unique. Players are always engaged, planning their next moves and adjusting their strategies based on the tokens drawn and the actions taken by other players.

Pros

High Replayability: Random token draws and varied action spaces ensure no two games are alike.

Multiple Paths to Victory: Players can focus on trade, construction, science, or a combination of these to win.

Engaging Gameplay: Simultaneous action selection and workers placement mechanics keep players actively thinking about their next moves.

Strategic Depth: Combining different follower abilities and optimizing resource use is challenging and rewarding.

Cons

Complexity: The game requires a good understanding of its mechanics, which can be overwhelming for new players.

Length: Games can take up to 90 minutes, which may be too long for some players.

Crowded Board with More Players: At five players, the main map can become crowded, making it harder to navigate.

Personal Thoughts on Orléans

Orléans is a game tailored for strategy enthusiasts and fans of worker placement and deck-building mechanics. It is ideal for players who enjoy complex, yet rewarding, gameplay and are willing to invest time in mastering its intricacies. The game’s high replayability and multiple paths to victory make it a great addition to any serious board game collection. However, it may not be the best fit for casual gamers or those looking for a quick, simple game.

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