Guild (2011) Board Game – Board Game Guys

Guild is a card game that was released in 2011 and designed by Kyo Nakayama. It is a city-building game that involves strategic auction and tile placement mechanics. The game is designed for 2 to 4 players and has an average runtime of 90 minutes. With beautiful artwork by Takamagahara, Guild has gained popularity among board game enthusiasts for its engaging gameplay.

Game Components of Guild

Central Square board: A hexagonal board used to track rounds and bids.

Citizen cards: Large cards featuring various benefits such as end-game points, silver or gold income, and unique abilities.

Guild headquarters boards: Each player has a board representing their guild headquarters.

Room tiles: Used to expand the guild headquarters.

Silver and gold coins: Used for bidding and purchasing room tiles.

Objective cards: Public objectives that reward players for specific achievements.

How To Setup Guild

To set up **Guild**, place the Central Square board in the middle of the table. Each player takes their own guild headquarters board and places the Entrance Hall tile on the starting position. Citizen cards are organized around the Central Square based on the player count. Objective cards are chosen randomly and placed face up on the table. The game setup varies slightly depending on the number of players, with a handy chart in the rules to guide the process.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Bidding phase: Players bid using silver coins to acquire citizen cards, which offer various benefits.

Money changing phase: Players convert unused silver bids back and can convert silver to gold at a rate of 5:1.

Building phase: Players purchase and place room tiles in their guild headquarters using gold.

Income phase: Players take income based on their current rooms and citizen cards.

Objective fulfillment: Players aim to achieve public objectives and build a prestigious guild.

Game end: After 6-8 rounds, players calculate their final score based on victory points from cards, tiles, and objectives. The player with the most points wins.

Player Experience

**Guild** offers a challenging yet engaging experience, particularly with 3-4 players where bidding and counter-bidding become crucial. Players must balance bidding for valuable citizen cards with building and expanding their guild headquarters. The game requires strategic planning and attention to opponents’ moves to block their progress or capitalize on their weaknesses.

Pros

Engaging bidding system: The dual drafting mechanics make the game tense and competitive.

Visual appeal: The game features a colorful and creatively designed central board and citizen cards.

Dynamic gameplay: The game scales well with different player counts, maintaining competitiveness even with two players.

Strategic depth: Players must manage resources, bid strategically, and build their guild efficiently.

Cons

Complex setup: The initial setup can be somewhat confusing, especially with the hexagonal Central Square board.

Imbalanced cards: Some citizen cards offer significantly better benefits than others, which can be unbalancing.

Room placement challenges: The room puzzle aspect can be tricky, especially as the game progresses and spaces become limited.

Personal Thoughts on Guild

**Guild** is ideal for fans of economic and bidding games who enjoy strategic planning and competitive gameplay. It is particularly suited for players who appreciate games with deep mechanics but do not mind a slightly lighter theme. While it may not be the best fit for casual gamers due to its complexity, **Guild** offers a rewarding experience for those willing to invest time and strategy into building their guild.

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