Cacao (2015) Board Game
Cacao is a board game designed by Phil Walker-Harding and released in 2015 by ABACUSSPIELE. The game is set in the exotic world of the “fruit of the gods” and players take on the roles of tribal chiefs leading their people to prosperity through the cultivation and trade of cacao beans.
## Game Components of Cacao
– Worker tiles with varying numbers of workers on each side
– Jungle tiles (cacao fields, markets, wells, temples, golden mines)
– Cacao markers
– Water tokens
– Gold coins
– Village boards for each player
– Temple and market tiles
– Expansion modules (optional).
## How To Setup Cacao
The game starts with two jungle tiles placed randomly on the table, ensuring they are not adjacent to each other. Each player receives a starting village board and a set of worker tiles. The remaining jungle tiles are stacked as a draw pile. Players choose a starting location for their village board and begin with a hand of three worker tiles.
## Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective
– **Tile Placement**: Players place worker tiles adjacent to jungle tiles to expand the playing area.
– **Resource Collection**: Workers placed next to cacao fields collect cacao markers; those next to markets can sell cacao for gold.
– **Water Management**: Workers can collect water tokens from wells.
– **Temple Scoring**: Workers placed next to temples score points at the end of the game.
– **Gold Mines**: Workers can collect gold coins from gold mines.
– **Objective**: The goal is to collect the most gold by efficiently using worker tiles and managing resources.
## Player Experience
Cacao offers a dynamic and strategic gameplay experience, requiring players to balance resource collection, market transactions, and temple scoring. The game’s simplicity makes it accessible to casual gamers, while its depth provides enough complexity for seasoned players. The expansion modules, such as the Chocolatl expansion, add new layers of strategy, including the conversion of cacao into chocolate for higher profits.
### Pros
– Easy to learn but challenging to master
– High replayability due to random tile placement and variable player powers
– Engaging strategic depth
– Family-friendly, suitable for players aged 8+
– Expansions add variety and complexity.
### Cons
– Additional setup time when using expansion modules
– May feel less approachable for casual gamers with all modules included
– Simple elegance of the base game can be muddled by the expansions.
## Personal Thoughts on Cacao
Cacao is an excellent choice for those who enjoy tile-placement games and are looking for a game that balances simplicity with strategic depth. It is suitable for families and casual gamers due to its easy-to-learn mechanics, while also offering enough complexity to appeal to more experienced players. The Chocolatl expansion enhances the gameplay experience, making it a worthwhile addition for those who enjoy the base game.
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