Minerva (2015) Board Game – Board Game Guys

Minerva is a board game released in 2015, designed by Hisashi Hayashi and published by Japon Brand. The game falls under the categories of City Building and Economic, where players take on the role of city planners in ancient Rome, striving to develop their cities by acquiring resources and completing contracts.

Game Components of Minerva

Fountain tile for each player

Wheat resources

Coins

Tile stack

Start tiles

Temple tiles

Residence tiles

Assistant tiles

Resource buildings (wheat, lumber, stone, ore)

Market buildings

Military buildings

Culture buildings

Special tiles

Turn order tiles

How To Setup Minerva

To set up Minerva, each player receives a fountain tile, a wheat resource, and coins based on their seating order. The tile stack is prepared, and the start tiles are placed in the market. Additional tiles are added to the market until a round tile is revealed. The temple tiles are shuffled, and five are laid out. A turn order tile is placed near the play area for each player.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Tile Placement: Players place tiles orthogonally adjacent to existing tiles in their city.

Resource Management: Resources such as wheat, lumber, stone, and ore are produced by resource buildings.

Market Buildings: Produce money, sometimes based on specific criteria.

Military Buildings: Provide glory.

Culture Buildings: Allow players to claim the top tile of a culture stack for victory points.

Special Tiles: Perform actions only when built.

Temple Tiles: Scored at the end of the game.

Game Objective: The player with the most points, earned through culture, glory, and temple tiles, wins the game.

Player Experience

In Minerva, players are engaged in a strategic battle to optimize their city’s development. The game lacks direct player conflict but features significant indirect interaction, such as competing for resources, cultural objects, and temple tiles. Players must balance building long lines to maximize residence efficiency against creating a compact city for greater opportunities. The spatial decisions in the game are critical and impactful, making it appealing to fans of tile-laying games.

Pros

Engaging Tile-Laying Mechanic: The spatial activation of tiles adds a unique twist to the game.

Balanced Scoring: Focuses on three main scoring paths (culture, glory, temples) to avoid complexity.

Indirect Player Interaction: Keeps the game engaging without direct conflict.

Strategic Depth: Requires thoughtful planning and resource management.

Cons

Limited Player Conflict: Might feel solitary for some players.

Focused Mechanics: Some players might find the game mechanics too narrow.

Unpolished Compared to Similar Games: Feels less refined compared to games like Santa Maria.

Personal Thoughts on Minerva

Minerva is a great choice for fans of quick, strategic games, especially those who enjoy tile-laying and engine-building mechanics. It’s an excellent option for a two-player lunch game due to its relatively short playtime and engaging gameplay. While it may not be as polished as some other games in its category, Minerva delivers a satisfying experience with its unique spatial activation mechanic and balanced scoring system.

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