Glasgow (2020) Board Game – Board Game Guys

Glasgow is a city building board game released in 2020 by Lookout Games. Designed by Mandela Fernandez-Grandon and featuring artwork by Klemens Franz, Glasgow is a strategic game for 2 players that can be played in about 30 minutes. The game is set in the industrial era of Glasgow, Scotland, where players compete to build the most prosperous city through map addition, set collection, and other unique game mechanisms.

Game Components of Glasgow

Tokens: Wooden brick, iron, and gold tokens.

Tiles: Building, contracting, and architect tiles made of sturdy cardboard punch outs.

Meeples: Merchant meeples, including a whiskey barrel.

Boards: Player boards for tracking resources.

City Grid: A 5×4 (or 4×5) grid representing the city of Glasgow[5ैं।

How To Setup Glasgow

Setting up Glasgow is quick, taking about five minutes. Players start by laying out the contractor and architect tiles in a circle, representing the path of the River Clyde. Each player chooses a pawn and places it on the board. The game comes with all necessary components, although some components, like extra tokens, can be stored away to avoid clutter.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Game Objective: Gain the most victory points by constructing buildings in the city grid.

Mechanics:

Tile-Laying: Players place building tiles into a grid representing Glasgow.

Resource Management: Gather resources (brick, iron, gold) from contractors.

Player Movement: Move a pawn around the circle to gather resources or consult architects.

Turn Order: The player furthest behind takes the next turn.

Victory Points: Points are calculated from the buildings constructed at the end of the game when all 20 city tiles are laid.

Player Experience

Glasgow is described as a fun, tight, and tense game that typically lasts around 30 minutes. Each turn is filled with strategic decisions about resource gathering and building construction, as players must balance their own progress with the risk of their opponent taking crucial resources or buildings. The game’s artwork, though plain, creates a cohesive and engaging picture of Glasgow.

Pros

Quick Gameplay: Games usually last about 30 minutes.

Easy to Learn: The game can be learned in about ten minutes.

Strategic Depth: Each turn involves strategic decisions to optimize resource gathering and building construction.

Fun Theme: Engaging theme of building up the city of Glasgow.

Cons

Limited Complexity: Hardcore gamers might find the mechanics too simple.

Abstract Nature: The gameplay can feel abstract, with repetitive pawn movement.

Component Issues: The game lacks a score pad and comes with unnecessary extra tokens.

Personal Thoughts on Glasgow

Glasgow is a great choice for casual gamers or those looking for a quick, strategic game to play in the evening. It is not designed for hardcore gamers seeking complex mechanics but offers a fun and tense experience for two players. The game’s thematic appeal and easy learning curve make it an excellent addition to a collection for those who enjoy city-building and resource management games.

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