Catherine: The Cities of the Tsarina (2022) Board Game

Catherine: The Cities of the Tsarina is a territory-building card game designed by Johannes Schmidauer-König and published by dlp games in in 2022. The game is set in the era of Catherine the Great, where players compete to build the most prosperous cities in the Russian Empire.

Game Components of Catherine: The Cities of the Tsarina

1 gameboard

4 favor makers

4 victory-point markers

4 sets of 50/100 tokens

Action cards and Activation cards

Influence Track markers

City house tokens.

How To Setup Catherine: The Cities of the Tsarina

To set up the game, each player starts with three Action Cards already on the table, arranged in a row. These cards are the foundation for the player’s actions throughout the game. Each player also begins with a hand of cards. The gameboard, featuring a map of connected cities, is placed in the middle of the table. Players position their markers on the Influence Track and prepare their favor makers and victory-point markers.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Hand Management: Players manage two rows of cards: the Action Row and the Activation Row. Each turn, players simultaneously play one card to each row.

Card Activation: Activation Cards must match the suit of the Action Card they are played beneath to activate the action and any bonus associated with it.

Game Objective: Players compete to become Catherine the Great’s most trusted and influential advisor by scoring points through various actions such as drawing cards, scoring points directly, adding houses to cities on the board, and moving up the Influence Track.

Player Experience

The game is relatively short, lasting about 30-45 minutes, and is notably simple to teach in person but challenging to explain in writing. Players experience a fast-paced game with limited opportunities for action, as each player only gets 12 chances to play cards over the course of three Decades (rounds). Despite its simplicity, the game lacks a strong thematic connection and does not offer much in terms of surprises or depth, making it feel somewhat repetitive.

Pros

Short Game Time: Games can be completed in as little as 20-25 minutes for experienced players.

Simple to Teach: Easy to explain in person, despite being complicated to describe in writing.

Cons

Lack of Depth: The game feels repetitive with no new strategies to discover after the first playthrough.

Limited Player Interaction: There is minimal player interaction, making the game feel somewhat isolative.

Arbitrary Theme: The gameplay does not evoke the theme of Catherine the Great, which might be a disappointment for some players.

Personal Thoughts on Catherine: The Cities of the Tsarina

**Catherine: The Cities of the Tsarina** is suitable for those looking for a quick, straightforward strategy game but may not appeal to players seeking depth or strong thematic integration. It is ideal for casual gamers who enjoy hand management mechanics and are not bothered by the lack of complexity or thematic engagement. However, serious board game enthusiasts might find it too simplistic and unengaging. The game’s reception has also been impacted by controversy surrounding its depiction of Kyiv as part of Russia, which has led to negative feedback from some players.

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