Monuments is a board game released in 2022 designed by Pablo Blayker and Trieu Thai. It falls under the categories of Civilization, Economic, Exploration, Farming, and Territory Building. The game features mechanics such as Action Retrieval, Area Majority/Influence, Area Movement, Hand Management, and Variable Player Powers.
Game Components of Monuments
Game Board: 65×80 cm with stunning artwork.Monuments: 4 cardboard (standard) or 4 deluxe plastic monuments (Deluxe Edition).Resources and Play Pieces: 291 cardboard or wooden resources and play pieces.Cards: 168 cards, including action cards, quest cards, common and personal bonus cards, and ability cards.Player Boards: 4 player boards.Dice: 11 dice, including special dice.Score Pad: For tracking victory points.Additional Components: Worker tokens, factory tokens, farm tokens, workshop tokens, bridge/ferry tokens, horse tokens, forts, towns, factories, air forces, navies, armies, and more.
How To Setup Monuments
To set up the game, each player chooses a civilization and places their corresponding tokens and player board on the table. Each player starts with a set of action cards, a home hex, and the necessary resources. The game board is laid out, and the monuments are assembled according to the instructions. The quest cards, bonus cards, and ability cards are shuffled and distributed as per the game rules.
Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective
Action Retrieval: Players can either play one of their ten action cards and discard it or retrieve all previously discarded action cards and add them back to their hand.Resource Management: Generate resources through worker and factory tokens, which can be exchanged to build monument layers.Territory Expansion: Expand territories over land and sea, build buildings, and keep opponents at bay.Combat: Attack other players to accumulate more land, which is necessary for building monument layers.Quest Cards: Complete quest cards to earn additional victory points.Game Objective: The first player to build all five layers of their monument triggers the end of the game, but the player with the most victory points wins.
Player Experience
**Monuments** offers a dynamic and varied gameplay experience due to its unique civilizations, different score cards, common and personal bonus cards, and abilities. Each turn is quick, lasting about 5 seconds, which minimizes downtime. The game is designed to be easy to learn but challenging to master, with many different ways to play and win.
Pros
High Replayability: Unique civilizations, different score cards, and various bonus cards ensure a new experience each time.Smooth and Fast Turns: Quick execution of actions keeps the game moving.Multiple Paths to Victory: Players can focus on building their monument, completing quest cards, or expanding their territory.Solo Play Option: Includes an AI opponent for solo play.
Cons
Graphic Design Issues: Small, indistinguishable tokens and color-on-color illustrations can cause confusion and delays.Component Quality: Cardboard monuments may not be durable, and special dice can have sharp edges.Rulebook Clarity: Vague wording in the rulebook and on cards can raise more questions than answers.
Personal Thoughts on Monuments
**Monuments** is ideal for fans of civilization and strategy games who enjoy building and managing their own civilization. The game’s mix of resource management, territory expansion, and combat provides a rich and engaging experience. However, it may not be the best fit for those who prioritize high-quality components and clear, intuitive game design. Despite its flaws, **Monuments** offers a fun and challenging experience with high replayability, making it a solid addition to any board game collection.
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