Aftershock: San Francisco & Venice (2019) Board Game

Aftershock: San Francisco & Venice is a city-building board game that allows players to rebuild two iconic cities after devastating earthquakes. Designed by William Bricker and published in 2019, this game combines elements of area majority/influence and hand management to create an engaging and strategic gameplay experience.

Game Components of Aftershock: San Francisco & Venice

Game board featuring San Francisco and Venice

Player boards

Population tokens

Building tiles

Event cards

Resource tokens

Scorepad

How To Setup Aftershock: San Francisco & Venice

To set up the game, players first place the game board in the middle of the playing area. Each player chooses a player board and places it within reach. Population tokens, building tiles, event cards, and resource tokens are then sorted and placed according to the instructions on the player boards. The scorepad is kept accessible to all players.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Area Majority: Players compete to have the most population/workers in each area to score points.

Resource Management: Players manage resources to build structures and place population tokens.

Event Cards: Players draw event cards that can either hinder or help their progress.

Game Objective: The main goal is to repopulate areas and score the most points by having the most population/workers in each area.

Player Experience

Playing **Aftershock: San Francisco & Venice** involves strategic planning and resource management. Players need to balance the need to build structures, manage events, and optimize their population placement to maximize their score. The game requires a mix of short-term and long-term strategy, making it engaging and challenging.

Pros

Strategic Depth: Offers a good balance between short-term and long-term strategies.

Engaging Mechanics: The combination of resource management, area majority, and event cards keeps the game interesting.

Thematic: The game’s theme of rebuilding cities after natural disasters is unique and thought-provoking.

Cons

Complexity: May be overwhelming for new players due to the multiple mechanics involved.

Setup Time: Setting up the game can be time-consuming due to the number of components.

Luck Factor: Event cards can introduce a significant luck factor, which some players might find frustrating.

Personal Thoughts on Aftershock: San Francisco & Venice

**Aftershock: San Francisco & Venice** is ideal for players who enjoy strategic games with multiple layers of complexity. It is particularly suited for those who like area majority games and are looking for a challenging yet engaging experience. However, it may not be the best fit for casual gamers or those who prefer simpler rules and quicker gameplay.

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