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

96 City Cards

32 Resource Cards

4 Player Boards

4 Player Aids

1 Starting Player Marker

1 Rulebook

How To Setup Catherine: The Cities of the Tsarina

Shuffle the City Cards and place them face down in the center of the play area.

Each player receives a Player Board and Player Aid.

Shuffle the Resource Cards and deal 6 to each player.

Place the Starting Player Marker in the center of the play area.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

In Catherine: The Cities of the Tsarina, players take turns drafting City Cards and building cities in their tableau. The game combines hand management, network and route building, set collection, and simultaneous action selection mechanics. The objective is to strategically build cities and acquire resources to earn the most victory points by the end of the game.

Player Experience

Pros

Engaging gameplay with strategic depth

Beautiful artwork that immerses players in the theme

Quick setup and playtime, perfect for casual gaming sessions

Cons

Limited replay value due to the fixed card pool

Some players may find the simultaneous action selection mechanic chaotic

Personal Thoughts on Catherine: The Cities of the Tsarina

Catherine: The Cities of the Tsarina is a solid territory-building card game that offers a unique blend of mechanics. The gameplay is enjoyable, and the artwork is stunning. However, the fixed card pool may limit replayability for some players. Overall, I believe Catherine: The Cities of the Tsarina is worth trying for fans of card games and territory-building games. It may not be suitable for players looking for a highly replayable game with endless variability.

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