Cartographers (2019)
Cartographers” is a roll and write board game designed by Jordy Adan and published in 2019 by Thunderworks Games.
Game Overview
Cartographers is a thrilling board game that puts players in the role of skilled cartographers who have been entrusted with the task of mapping lands for the Queen in a newly reclaimed territory. The game is played over four seasons, each offering its own unique challenges and opportunities. Throughout the game, players score points based on randomly chosen Edicts that affect their mapping strategies. These Edicts keep the gameplay dynamic and push players to adapt their mapping techniques to meet specific objectives.
Each season in Cartographers concludes when the numbers on the explored cards reach the time threshold. This creates a sense of urgency and adds an element of strategic planning to the game. Players must carefully manage their actions and make efficient use of their limited resources in order to maximize their points before the season ends. Furthermore, they need to keep an eye on their opponents’ progress, as competition for points can be fierce.
In Cartographers, players earn points for completing active goal cards that are drawn randomly throughout the game. These goal cards provide players with specific tasks to accomplish, such as creating long contiguous forest or mountain areas, or enclosing specific map sections with roads. However, players must also be wary of empty spaces surrounding monster areas, as these can result in point deductions. Balancing the completion of goal cards with strategic placement becomes crucial for success.
After the fourth season, the game comes to an end, and the player with the highest accumulated points is declared the winner. With its strategic decision-making, dynamic gameplay, and beautiful map-based artwork, Cartographers offers an engaging and competitive experience for board game enthusiasts. Whether you’re a fan of strategy games or simply enjoy immersing yourself in the art of cartography, Cartographers is definitely a board game worth exploring.
Why is Cartographers Popular?
Cartographers is popular for several reasons:
– Easy to learn: The game is simple to teach and understand, making it accessible for players of all skill levels.
– Replayability: Cartographers is easy to replay, offering a fun and engaging experience each time.
– Affordability: The game is available at a reasonable price point, making it an attractive option for board game enthusiasts.
– Solo play: Cartographers can be played solo, providing an enjoyable experience for those who prefer to play by themselves.
Game Components of Cartographers
Map Sheets and Explore Cards
The heart of Cartographers lies in the map sheets and explore cards that players use to create their unique maps. The map sheets are double-sided, offering different layouts on each side for added replayability. Players must strategically plan where to place terrain types and shapes on their map to maximize their points and meet the scoring goals.
The explore cards drive the gameplay forward by revealing different terrain types and shapes that players must draw on their map during the draw phase. Players must carefully choose which terrain type or shape to place on their map, taking into account their current layout and the upcoming scoring goals.
The combination of the map sheets and explore cards creates a dynamic and engaging gameplay experience in Cartographers. Players must adapt their strategies based on the cards drawn and make thoughtful decisions on how to best optimize their map for scoring. The simplicity of the components belies the depth of strategy and decision-making required to succeed in the game.
Coins and Scoring Cards
In the game, coins play a crucial role in determining a player’s final score. By filling in the gold coins on the track at the bottom of the board, players can earn points during the scoring phase. Each filled-in coin is worth one point, so maximizing the number of coins collected is essential for securing a high score.
Scoring cards also play a significant role in determining a player’s final score. Each season, two active scoring cards dictate how players earn points based on specific criteria. By strategically fulfilling the requirements of these scoring cards, players can earn additional points to boost their overall score.
It’s important to keep in mind that points can be deducted for any empty spaces next to monster areas on the board. Therefore, players must carefully plan their placements to minimize point deductions during the scoring phase.
Overall, mastering the collection of coins and strategically fulfilling the requirements of the scoring cards are key components to achieving victory in the game. By effectively utilizing these elements, players can maximize their score and claim the title of Queen Gimnax.
Pencils and Colored Pencils
While the game comes with four golf pencils for players to use, some may find it challenging to draw the symbols representing terrain types on the map. To enhance the experience and make it more visually appealing, Thunderworks Games offers an official colored pencil set specifically designed for the game.
Using colored pencils adds a vibrant and creative element to the gameplay. Players can use different colors to represent the various terrain types on their map, making it easier to distinguish between forests, mountains, rivers, and villages. Not only does this make the map more visually appealing, but it also adds a layer of personalization to each player’s sheet.
Game Setup of Cartographers
Prepare the game board by laying out the map tiles in a grid.Shuffle the letter cards and place them face down in a draw pile.Each player is given a score sheet and a set of map tiles.The first player is determined by rolling a die.
Game Mechanics
Seasons of Gameplay
Cartographers features a unique game mechanic that revolves around four seasons of gameplay. Each season, players have the opportunity to score points based on two randomly chosen Edicts. These Edicts present different challenges and objectives that players must consider when mapping their territories. This dynamic element keeps the gameplay fresh and forces players to adapt their strategies accordingly.
Exploration Cards
In Cartographers, the exploration cards play a crucial role in determining the progression of each season. These cards feature numbers that add up over time, signaling the end of a season once a certain threshold is reached. This adds a sense of urgency and strategic planning to the game, as players must carefully manage their actions and resources to maximize their points before time runs out. It creates a thrilling race against the clock and adds an element of excitement to each season.
Ambush Cards
Another interesting aspect of the game is the ambush cards. These cards can be strategically passed to opponents, allowing them to draw a monster shape on their opponent’s sheet. This adds a layer of competition and interaction, as players must not only focus on their own mapping strategies but also keep an eye on their opponents’ progress. It introduces a tactical element to the game and creates opportunities for sabotage or defense.
Dynamic and Engaging Gameplay
Overall, Cartographers excels in its game mechanics by offering a dynamic and engaging gameplay experience. From the randomized Edicts to the strategic management of exploration cards and the interaction through ambush cards, the game keeps players on their toes and ensures each playthrough is unique. It offers a well-balanced mix of strategy and competition, making it an excellent choice for board game enthusiasts.
How to Play
Draw Phase:
During the Draw Phase of Cartographers, players will flip a terrain card from the deck and draw the corresponding shape onto their map sheet. This is where the player’s creativity comes into play as they must strategically place the terrain tiles to maximize their scoring potential.
Check Phase:
In the Check Phase, players will evaluate their map sheet to ensure that they have correctly filled in the terrain tiles according to the drawn cards. This phase allows players to make any necessary adjustments before moving on to the next phase.
Scoring Phase:
The Scoring Phase is where players will tally up their points based on the scoring cards in play for that game. Players will earn points for various criteria such as having the most contiguous forest areas or enclosing monsters within their map. This phase is crucial as it determines the winner of the game based on the players’ strategic placement of terrain tiles.
Gameplay Experience
Player Interaction and Engagement
One of the standout features of Cartographers is the level of player interaction it offers compared to other flip-and-write games. The inclusion of ambush cards, where players pass their maps to neighbors to draw negative shapes, adds a layer of tension and strategy to the game. While some players may not enjoy this negative interaction, it creates a dynamic element that keeps everyone engaged throughout the game.
The thematic elements of creating maps for a roleplaying group resonate well with players, making the gameplay experience more immersive and enjoyable. The varied scoring conditions and the element of surprise with ambush cards ensure that each game is unique and keeps players on their toes.
Solo and Multiplayer Mode
Cartographers offers both solo and multiplayer modes for players to enjoy. In solo play, players will follow the same gameplay as in multiplayer, with the exception of how ambush cards are handled and final scoring. The Queen assigns players a title at the end of the game based on their performance, adding a fun touch to solo play. The placement of monsters from ambush cards is done by moving around the edge of the map until a legal placement is found, making for a challenging and engaging experience.
In multiplayer mode, players compete against each other to earn the highest score by strategically placing terrain and monsters on their maps. The interactive nature of multiplayer mode adds a layer of competition and excitement, as players can strategically place monsters to challenge their opponents. The game is quick and easy to pick up, making it accessible for novice board gamers.
Overall, Cartographers offers a well-thought-out solo mode that provides a challenging and engaging experience for players looking to test their puzzle-solving skills. The multiplayer mode adds a competitive element that keeps gameplay exciting and dynamic. Whether playing solo or with friends, Cartographers offers a unique and enjoyable roll and write experience.
Pros and Cons
Pros of Cartographers Board Game
- Unique Spatial Puzzle Gameplay: Cartographers offers a refreshing take on polyomino spatial puzzle games by focusing on how players organize shapes within the board rather than simply filling it up. This unique approach adds depth and strategy to the gameplay, making it stand out from other games in the genre.
- Rewarding Creativity: The game rewards creativity by allowing players to draw various symbols required to make the map look personalized and vibrant. This small touch adds a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction to the game, encouraging players to think creatively while playing.
- Solo Mode Option: The inclusion of a solitaire mode in Cartographers allows players to enjoy the game even when playing alone. The solo mode offers a similar gameplay experience to the multiplayer mode, with slight variations in handling Ambush cards and final scoring, making it a great option for those who prefer to play solo.
- Quick and Easy Gameplay: Cartographers is quick and easy to learn, making it accessible to novice board gamers. With a playtime of around 30 minutes in multiplayer mode, the game is perfect for a casual gaming session or as a quick filler game.
- Strategic Decision-Making: Players must carefully plan their moves and placement of terrains on the map to maximize their score. The game offers strategic decision-making opportunities, keeping players engaged and challenged throughout the gameplay.
Cons of Cartographers Board Game
While Cartographers is a highly enjoyable game with unique gameplay mechanics, there are a few drawbacks that some players may find to be potential cons when considering whether or not to play this game.
- One potential con is the complexity of the scoring system. With four different ways of scoring, some players may find it overwhelming to strategize and optimize their gameplay. This could lead to confusion and frustration, especially for those who prefer simpler and more straightforward scoring mechanisms.
- Another con to consider is the level of player interaction. While Cartographers does include some player interaction through the Ambush cards, some players may still find the game to be too focused on individual player puzzles rather than direct competition or collaboration with other players. This could lead to a feeling of isolation or lack of engagement with the other players at the table.
- The solo gameplay experience may not be as satisfying or replayable as the multiplayer experience. While there are mini-expansions and extra map packs available to enhance the solo mode, some players may find that the game lacks the same level of excitement and dynamic gameplay when played alone.
Final Thoughts
Cartographers stands out in the crowded world of flip-and-write games due to its unique spatial puzzle mechanics. While other games in this genre focus on filling up the board, Cartographers challenges players to strategically organize their shapes within the limited space provided. This adds an extra layer of depth and strategy to the gameplay, making it a refreshing twist on the traditional flip-and-write formula.
The rulebook, setup, components, art & graphic design, and gameplay all received high marks, culminating in an overall satisfaction score that reflects the game’s quality. While some players may find the multiple scoring objectives challenging to grasp, the game offers flexibility in strategy and allows for different approaches to achieve success.
The incorporation of Ruins and Ambush cards adds a twist to the gameplay, providing players with interesting decisions and challenges to overcome. The game plays quickly and smoothly, with enough player interaction to keep things engaging without feeling overly competitive.
Overall, Cartographers is a standout game in the roll-and-write genre, offering a satisfying mix of puzzle-solving, strategy, and creativity. Whether you enjoy drawing and creating maps or are simply looking for a fun and challenging game to play, Cartographers is definitely worth a try. With its wide-open canvas for creativity and engaging gameplay, it’s no surprise that the game has been receiving well-deserved recognition.
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