Monumental (2020) Board Game

Monumental is a board game that was released in 2020 by designer Matthew Dunstan and published by Funforge. It falls under the categories of civilization, fighting, and territory building, and it is designed for 1 to 4 players, with the best player count being 2 to

The game features beautiful artwork by Tey Bartolome, Georges Bouchelaghem, Hendry Iwanaga, and Agri Karuniawan.

Game Components of Monumental

Player Boards: Each player has a 3×3 grid city board.

Cards: Civilization cards, Knowledge cards, Science cards, Culture cards, and Development cards.

Resources: Production, Science, Military, Gold, and Culture.

Tokens: Player tokens, barbarian tokens, and unit tokens.

Board: A modular board composed of Province tiles.

Miniatures: Optional, included in the deluxe edition.

Cultural Policy cards: Unique to each civilization.

How To Setup Monumental

To set up **Monumental**, players first build the map based on the player count by arranging the Province tiles. Each player chooses one of the 5 available civilizations and takes the corresponding components. The deck of 15 Civ cards is shuffled, and a 3×3 array is dealt out for the initial City layout, with the rest forming a draw pile. If a Knowledge card is dealt, it is placed in the correct position and covered by a regular city card. A culture deck is formed and placed beside the city. The development deck is stacked into three eras and placed within reach. A display of development cards is dealt to the table, with the rest of the deck nearby.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Activate City Phase: Players choose one row and one column in their city to activate, rotating the cards 45 degrees to gain resources and activate special abilities.

Take Actions Phase: Players use resources to buy buildings, move units, conquer territories, and enact cultural policies.

Replenish City Phase: Activated cards are discarded, and new cards are drawn to refill the city grid.

Replenish Display Phase: The market of development cards is refreshed.

Objective: The goal is to accumulate the most points by building wonders, researching science cards, playing culture cards, and controlling territories.

Player Experience

Playing **Monumental** involves strategic planning and resource management. Each turn, players must make tough decisions about which cards to activate to maximize their resource gain and actions. The game requires a balance between building an efficient engine and acquiring cards that score points. The combat system is straightforward, with no dice rolling required, making it quick and predictable. The game also features a solid solo mode and various setup options for high replayability.

Pros

Strategic Depth: Offers a lot of strategic options with the 3×3 city grid and resource management.

Replay Value: Multiple setup options and unique civilization cards provide high replayability.

Solo Mode: A well-executed solo mode that maintains the core gameplay experience.

Streamlined Combat: Simple and quick combat mechanics without dice rolling.

Good Production Quality: Even the basic version has a solid insert and cardboard tiles.

Cons

Setup Time: The setup process can be lengthy, especially with expansion content.

Downtime: Increases significantly with higher player counts, making it less enjoyable with four players.

Complexity: While the rules are straightforward, the game requires careful consideration and planning, which can be overwhelming for some players.

Personal Thoughts on Monumental

**Monumental** is ideal for players who enjoy strategic planning, deck-building, and civilization games. It is particularly suited for those who appreciate games with a medium level of complexity and a high degree of player agency. Fans of games like Magic: The Gathering and Res Arcana may find **Monumental** especially appealing due to its similar mechanics and strategic depth. However, it may not be the best fit for players seeking a quick or light game experience.

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