Concordia Venus (2018) Board Game

Concordia Venus is an expansion for the base game Concordia, released in 2018 by designer Mac Gerdts. It adds a new map, extra cards, and new mechanics to the original game, allowing for more player interaction and strategic depth.

Game Components of Concordia Venus

Boards: 4 maps (3 large, 1 medium-sized, and a small-sized variant of one of the large maps).

Cards: Includes the Magister card, Legatus and Pretor cards for team play, and various market deck cards.

Tokens: Victory Point markers, bonus tokens, and resources (food, bricks, tools, wine, fabric).

Colonists: Each player has six colonists (three land and three C colonists).

Houses: 15 wooden houses per player.

How To Setup Concordia Venus

To set up Concordia Venus, select one of the maps and place the board in the middle of the table. Create a supply of coins and the game resources. Each player selects a color and takes the corresponding components. Players place one C and one land colonist in the capital city and the remaining colonists in their warehouse. Prepare the stack of cards by removing non-applicable cards, separating them by Roman number, and shuffling each stack. Fill the card area of the board with the prepared deck.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Action Retrieval: Players retrieve used cards to reuse their actions.

Advantage Token: Use tokens to gain advantages.

Auction: Dutch: A bidding mechanism where prices decrease.

Communication Limits: Team play involves coordinated planning.

Deck, Bag, and Pool Building: Manage cards and resources.

Hand Management: Manage personal cards.

Investment: Invest in resources and buildings.

Movement Points: Move colonists and resources.

Network and Route Building: Build networks across the map.

Open Drafting: Draft cards openly.

Point to Point Movement: Move from one point to another.

Set Collection: Collect sets of resources and cards.

Team-Based Game: Option for team play with coordinated actions.

The objective is to earn the most Victory Points (VPs) by managing resources, building houses, and acquiring cards with corresponding scoring categories. The game ends when all cards have been sold or the first player builds their 15th house. The player with the most VPs from the gods wins.

Player Experience

Concordia Venus offers a rich and dynamic gameplay experience, particularly with the introduction of the Magister card and team play mechanics. The game is highly strategic, requiring advance planning and consideration of opponents’ moves. The modular layout of cities on different maps adds variability to each game. Team play is especially praised for its cooperative aspect, making it an excellent option for groups of 6 players divided into teams.

Pros

Variety in Maps: Includes multiple maps to vary gameplay.

Team Play: Offers a unique cooperative team play experience.

Additional Mechanics: The Magister card and other Venus-specific cards enhance decision-making.

Scalability: Suitable for 2 to 6 players with different map sizes.

Replayability: High replay value due to modular setup and variable card draws.

Cons

Complexity for New Players: Additional Venus components can increase analysis paralysis for new players.

Length: Can be slow, especially with more players.

Learning Curve: Requires time to understand all the mechanics and strategies.

Personal Thoughts on Concordia Venus

Concordia Venus is ideal for strategic board game enthusiasts who enjoy complex economic and resource management games. It is particularly suited for those who appreciate cooperative play and variable setup, making it a great addition to any board game collection. For new players, it might be beneficial to start with the base game before introducing the Venus components to avoid overwhelming complexity. However, for seasoned players, the Venus version offers a refreshed and enhanced experience with new challenges and opportunities.

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