Roads & Boats (1999) Board Game

Roads & Boats is a strategic board game that was released in in 1999. It was designed by Herman Haverkort and Tamara Jannink, and the artwork was done by Splotter Spellen. The game falls under categories such as city building, civilization, economic, industry/manufacturing, and transportation. It is known for its complex gameplay and deep strategic elements.

Game Components of Roads & Boats

Initial Resources: Each player starts with three donkeys, two geese, some logs, and some stone.

Terrain Tiles: Hexagonal terrain tiles for map building.

Transportation: 120 means of transportation ranging from donkeys to steamers.

Walls: 75 little wooden rods.

Research Boards: 4 research boards.

Discovery Stones: 28 glass discovery stones.

Wonder of the World: 193 wonder stones (cardboard).

Mines: 18 mines and associated bags.

Factories: 115 factories (cardboard).

Goods: 600 goods (cardboard).

&Cetera Expansion: Includes new buildings, goods, land types, transporters, and scenarios, as well as material for 5-6 players.

How To Setup Roads & Boats

To set up the game, players create a map using the hexagonal terrain tiles. Each player selects their starting hex and places their initial resources there. The game components, such as transportation, walls, and factories, are organized and made accessible to all players. The Wonder of the World, which acts as the game’s timer, is also set up at this stage.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Resource Conversion: Players convert resources into various goods and buildings.

Pick Up and Deliver: Resources are moved around using transporters like donkeys, wagons, and boats.

Building Phases: Players build roads, buildings, and other structures using resources.

Simultaneous Play: The game is played in four simultaneous phases: Production, Movement, Building, and Wonder.

Objective: The goal is to produce gold nuggets, coins, and stock certificates, which are worth points. The game ends when a set number of bricks have been built on the Wonder, and players score based on their produced goods.

Player Experience

The game offers a highly variable experience depending on the map and player interactions. It can feel like multiplayer solitaire or highly competitive, with strategies that involve building optimal producers, using transporters efficiently, and navigating the map to access resources. The game scales well, and the simultaneous play ensures there is no downtime. However, the game is known for its complexity and the need for significant storage space.

Pros

Countless Strategic Routes: Offers many different strategies to explore.

Adaptable to Player Preferences: Can be played with varying levels of interaction among players.

Simultaneous Play: No downtime, as all players act at the same time.

Rewarding Goals: Producing stock certificates is particularly rewarding.

Cons

Complex and Fiddly: The game has a lot of components and rules, making it challenging for new players.

Storage Issues: Requires significant storage space for the components.

Divisive Art: The game’s art style may not appeal to everyone.

Steep Learning Curve: Less experienced players are likely to lose frequently.

Personal Thoughts on Roads & Boats

**Roads & Boats** is ideal for experienced board game enthusiasts who enjoy complex logistical puzzles and strategic depth. It is not a game for the faint of heart due to its intricate rules and numerous components. However, for those who appreciate euro-style games with deep strategy and variable gameplay, **Roads & Boats** stands out as a unique and challenging experience.

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