Villages of Valeria (2017) Board Game

Villages of Valeria is a card game designed by Rick Holzgrafe and Isaias Vallejo, and published by Daily Magic Games in in 2017. The game falls under the categories of City Building and Fantasy, and offers players the opportunity to immerse themselves in a world of kingdom building and strategic decision-making.

Game Components of Villages of Valeria

Cards: Two main types – building cards and adventurer cards, each with a cost, victory points, and special powers.

Wooden Coins: 30 coins used to pay for resources.

Wooden Castle: Acts as the active player marker and provides a wild resource.

Rule Book: Detailed, though somewhat wordy, with important text highlighted in red.

How To Setup Villages of Valeria

Each player starts with 3 coins, 6 building cards in their hand, and a castle card. The castle card provides one “wild” resource. The deck of building and adventurer cards is shuffled and placed within reach of all players. The game is ready to begin once each player has their starting resources and cards.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Actions:

Harvest: Draw 3 cards. *Follow:* Draw 1 instead.

Develop: Discard 1 card to develop a resource. *Follow:* Discard 2 instead.

Build: Construct a building from your hand using resources. *Follow:* Same as above, but do not draw a card.

Recruit: Pay 1 Gold to recruit an Adventurer. *Follow:* Pay 2 instead.

Tax: Collect 1 Gold and draw a card. *Follow:* Draw a card.

Game Objective: Earn the most victory points by developing resources, constructing buildings, and recruiting adventurers. The game ends when a player has built the required number of buildings and/or adventurers based on the player count.

Player Experience

**Villages of Valeria** offers a dynamic and interactive experience with its lead-follow mechanic, allowing players to react to each other’s actions. Players must balance resource management, building construction, and adventurer recruitment to maximize their victory points. The game encourages strategic thinking and planning, as players can use opponents’ resources, though this comes with a small penalty. This interaction keeps the gameplay swift and engaging.

Pros

Swift Gameplay: Actions are quick and straightforward, promoting fast-paced gameplay.

Player Interaction: The lead-follow mechanic and resource sharing add a layer of strategy and social interaction.

Strategic Depth: Balancing resources, buildings, and adventurers provides a challenging yet enjoyable experience.

Versatile: Plays well with any number of players from 1 to 5.

Cons

Rule Book Complexity: The rule book can be wordy and intimidating for new players.

Endgame Predictability: Some decisions become obvious as the game nears its end, making it slightly less engaging.

Personal Thoughts on Villages of Valeria

**Villages of Valeria** is ideal for fans of tableau-building and hand management games. It’s a great fit for those looking for a game that can be completed within a short time frame, such as during a lunch break. The game’s balance of resource management, building construction, and adventurer recruitment makes it appealing to players who enjoy strategic planning and social interaction. It’s particularly suited for players who like games with a mix of engine-building and tactical decision-making, similar to other games in the tableau-building genre.

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