Guild Master (2020) Board Game

Guild Master is a board game released in 2020, designed by Andrew Bosley, Aleksandar Mihajlovic, and Yamandú Daniel Orce. It is published by Good Games Publishing and falls into categories such as Card Game, Deduction, Dice, Fantasy, and Negotiation. The game features mechanisms like Action Queue, Auction/Bidding, Bribery, Command Cards, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.

Game Components of Guild Master

1 x Board

4 x Order Boards

4 x Upgrade Boards

4 x 13 Order Cards

4 x Guild Screens

4 x Guild Ribbons

4 x Fame markers

4 x Contest tokens

1 x Round marker

1 x Builder Cost marker

Gold tokens (20 x 1 Gold, 20 x 2 Gold, 12 x 5 Gold, 4 x 20 Gold)

Contract cards (35 Common, 30 Heroic, 30 Legendary)

Adventurer cards (24 Novice, 24 Adept, 16 Hero, 8 Legend)

Skill Upgrade tokens (6 Starting, 18 Skill)

Core Upgrade tokens (15)

Prestige Upgrade tokens (6)

30 Dice[5%.

How To Setup Guild Master

To set up **Guild Master**, place the main board in the center of the table and position the round marker, builder cost marker, and each player’s fame marker. Shuffle and place the Adept, Hero, and Legend Adventurer Card decks, along with the three decks of contract cards. Each player selects a guild and takes the corresponding guild board, upgrade board, screen, ribbon, and contest token. Players start with seven gold and their starting adventurers and skill upgrade tokens. The two starting contracts are placed on the board, and players are dealt three Common Contracts, keeping two and placing one face down on the board. All face-down cards on the board are flipped face up. For games with less than four players, some spots on the board and cards are not used[4%.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Recruit Adventurers: Hire new adventurers to build and expand your strengths.

Attempt Contracts: Complete increasingly difficult contracts to gain money, fame, and other rewards.

Hire Builders: Upgrade your guild to increase capacity.

Simultaneous Action Planning: Players plan orders secretly, then resolve them sequentially.

Conflict Resolution: Use coins and negotiated prisoners’ dilemma to resolve overlapping orders.

Cooperation and Negotiation: Players can cooperate or conflict with other guilds to achieve goals.

Game Objective: Earn fame (victory points) by managing your guild’s growth, completing contracts, and upgrading your guild. The most famous guild after nine rounds wins.

Player Experience

In **Guild Master**, players are deeply engaged in managing their guilds, planning strategies, and adapting to the actions of other players. The game demands careful planning and negotiation, especially when multiple guilds attempt the same contracts. As the game progresses, the increasing difficulty and variety of contracts keep the gameplay dynamic and challenging. The ability to cooperate or conflict with other players adds a rich layer of social interaction, making each game unique.

Pros

Engaging Strategy: Deep strategic planning and adaptation.

Social Interaction: Cooperative and competitive elements add variety.

Dynamic Gameplay: Increasing difficulty and varied contracts keep the game exciting.

High Replayability: Multiple paths to victory and varied player interactions.

Cons

Complex Setup: The initial setup can be time-consuming and complex.

Steep Learning Curve: The game has many mechanics and rules to learn.

Limited Insert Design: The box insert is not optimized for the game’s components[4%.

Personal Thoughts on Guild Master

**Guild Master** is perfect for fans of complex strategy games and those who enjoy social interaction and negotiation. It suits players who like to plan carefully and adapt to changing circumstances. The game is ideal for groups of 2-4 players aged 13 and above, offering a rich and immersive experience that combines resource management, contract completion, and guild development. If you’re looking for a game that challenges your strategic thinking and encourages social interaction, **Guild Master** is an excellent choice.

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