Clinic: Deluxe Edition (2019) Board Game

Clinic: Deluxe Edition is a board game released in 2019 by AVStudioGames. Designed by Alban Viard and featuring artwork by Ian O’Toole, this game falls under the categories of City Building, Economic, Medical, Territory Building, and Transportation. With a runtime of 60-150 minutes and suitable for players aged 14 and above, Clinic: Deluxe Edition offers a challenging and strategic gameplay experience.

Game Components of Clinic: Deluxe Edition

Game Boards: One large communal board, 4-8 player boards, and additional boards for expansions.

Tiles and Modules: 60 module tiles, including treatment rooms, patient rooms, supply rooms, parking spaces, parks, and helipads.

Meeple and Figures: 52 doctor meeples, 25 nurse meeples, 9 staff meeples, 93 patient meeples, and 64 car meeples.

Other Components: Grey cylinders for corridors/elevators, player discs, entrances, money coins, and various expansion components.

How To Setup Clinic: Deluxe Edition

Setting up *Clinic: Deluxe Edition* involves several steps, depending on the player count and the variant chosen. The game offers a beginner and an expert variant. In the beginner setup, players start with a predefined 4×3 grid of spaces for their clinic tiles. For the expert variant, players can choose either a 3×3 or 4×3 clinic board and set up their clinic as they prefer. Each player receives a player board, an entrance tile, a Service Hub, a Treatment Room, and a Supply Room. The game also includes rules for adding floors and extending player boards.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Action Phases: Each game is divided into six rounds, each round consisting of three phases: Action, Administration, and Clean-up. Players take three actions per round, choosing from Build, Hire, and Admit Patients.

Building and Expansion: Players build modules for specific types of treatment and manage the spatial puzzle of clinic layout, including adjacency rules and three-dimensional building.

Staff Management: Hire doctors, nurses, and staff, and manage their skill levels and deployment.

Patient Treatment: Treat patients to earn money, with higher-severity patients earning more but requiring more skilled staff.

Game Objective: The goal is to become the most popular medical center by earning popularity points through efficient clinic management, successful treatments, and well-maintained facilities.

Player Experience

*Clinic: Deluxe Edition* offers a deeply immersive and challenging experience, particularly appealing to fans of complex strategy and economic simulation. The game’s spatial puzzle and the need to manage staff and patients efficiently add layers of complexity that keep players engaged. The solo mode is particularly praised for its ability to scale resources appropriately and provide a challenging yet rewarding experience without the need for an automa.

Pros

Deep Strategy: Offers a rich and engaging strategic experience with multiple layers of complexity.

High Replayability: Each game plays out differently, and the inclusion of numerous expansions adds significant replay value.

Solo Mode: A well-designed solo mode that is both challenging and enjoyable.

Production Quality: High-quality components, beautiful artwork, and an inviting rulebook.

Cons

Steep Learning Curve: The game has a lot of rules and edge cases, especially around adjacency, which can be challenging to learn and teach.

Time Commitment: Games can be long, and the setup time is significant due to the complexity of the game.

Overwhelming Expansion Content: With 51 individual expansions, the amount of content can be daunting and difficult to fully explore.

Personal Thoughts on Clinic: Deluxe Edition

*Clinic: Deluxe Edition* is ideal for players who enjoy heavy strategy games, economic simulations, and spatial puzzles. It is perfect for those who appreciate complexity and are willing to invest time in learning and mastering the game. While it may not be the best fit for casual gamers due to its steep learning curve, it is a gem for serious board game enthusiasts. The game’s ability to scale well in solo mode also makes it a great option for those who often play alone.

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