Era: Medieval Age (2019) Board Game

Era: Medieval Age is a city building board game designed by Matt Leacock and published by eggertspiele in in 2019. The game takes players back to the medieval times where they compete to build the most prosperous city through dice rolling and strategic placement of buildings.

Game Components of Era: Medieval Age

71 plastic 3D building structures

32 walls

27 scorched land areas

36 custom dice in four different colors

Player boards

Screens for secret dice rolling

Resource tokens (food, wood, stone, trade goods)

Culture tokens

Disaster track and tokens.

How To Setup Era: Medieval Age

To set up the game, each player receives a starting hand of three peasant dice and one noble die, along with a player board, six pegs, and a screen. Players also start with a set of initial structures including three longhouses, one farm, and three walls. Depending on the player count, some wasteland pieces may be added to the board to adjust the available space. Each player begins with a set amount of stone, wood, and food.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Key Mechanics:

Rolling Dice: Players roll their dice up to three times in secret, but must keep any dice showing a skull symbol.

Resource Collection: Players collect resources (food, wood, stone, trade goods) based on their dice rolls.

Feeding Population: Players must spend one food per die to feed their population.

Disasters: Players resolve disasters based on the number of skulls rolled, which can affect either themselves or their opponents.

Building: Players use resources to construct buildings, with each hammer symbol allowing for one building construction.

Extortion: Players with more swords than their opponents’ shields can steal resources from them.

Game Objective:

The objective is to build the most prosperous medieval village by constructing buildings, managing resources, and mitigating disasters. The game ends when a certain number of building types are depleted, and players score points for their buildings, culture, and trade goods. Points are doubled for buildings enclosed within walls, and deductions are made for disaster track positions.

Player Experience

**Era: Medieval Age** offers a unique blend of dice rolling and city building, making it visually appealing and engaging. The game involves strategic planning, resource management, and a touch of social interaction through the extortion mechanic. Players must balance building their city efficiently while defending against disasters and potential attacks from other players. The 3D plastic building structures add a tactile and aesthetically pleasing element to the game.

Pros

Visually Appealing: The game comes with highly detailed 3D plastic miniatures.

Strategic Depth: Balancing resource collection, building construction, and disaster management offers a rich gameplay experience.

Variety in Buildings: Each building type has unique costs, effects, and scoring bonuses.

Social Interaction: The extortion mechanic adds a layer of player interaction and strategy.

Accessible Complexity: Suitable for moderately experienced gamers and can be taught to novices.

Cons

Player Board Design: The original player boards were criticized for being hard to read, but stickers were made available to address this issue.

Harsh Extortion Mechanic: Some players find the extortion phase too harsh, potentially leading to significant resource loss.

Steep Learning Curve for New Players: While not overly complex, the game has enough nuances to require a thorough rules explanation for new players.

Personal Thoughts on Era: Medieval Age

**Era: Medieval Age** is ideal for gamers who enjoy roll and build mechanics, city-building games, and those who appreciate the tactile experience of 3D components. It is a great fit for moderately experienced gamers looking for a game that combines strategy and visual appeal. New players may need some time to adjust to the game’s mechanics, but the overall experience is rewarding and engaging. This game is particularly suited for those who enjoy games like *Roll Through the Ages* and other city-building titles, but are looking for a more physically interactive experience.

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