Navegador (2010) Board Game – Board Game Guys

Navegador is a board game designed by Mac Gerdts and released in in 2010. It is set during the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, where players take on the roles of Portuguese navigators exploring the seas, establishing colonies, and trading goods.

Game Components of Navegador

Wooden Pieces: 36 ships, 5 workers, 5 game stones, 12 wooden disks, 10 churches, 10 shipyards, 23 factories.

Cardboard Pieces: 5 player sheets, 33 colony tokens, 35 privilege tokens, 1 Navegador card, 2 markers for double loss of ships.

Coins: 10, 50, 100, or 200 Cruzados.

Game Board: Depicts 13 regions with various sea areas and buildings.

Other: Game rules, quick intro, and an almanac of historical persons.

How To Setup Navegador

Each player starts with 2 ships in Portugal, a worker in Lisboa, and a game stone on the middle of the rondel. Players receive 200 Cruzados, a King’s privilege, five additional ships, and a player sheet equipped with one factory, one shipyard, and one church. The game board is set up with hidden stacks of randomly shuffled colony tokens in each region and buildings in the lower right corner. The last player receives the Navegador card, which allows for an extra sailing action.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Phases: The game runs in three phases, triggered by exploring specific sea regions like Cabo da Boa Esperança and Malaca.

Actions on the Rondel: Include Sailing, Workers, Colony, Market, Buildings, Ships, and Privilege. Players move their markers clockwise on the rondel to choose actions.

Exploration: Players explore unknown sea regions, receiving rewards and losing ships due to dangers. Each new phase increases ship movement and costs.

Building and Colonization: Players can build factories, shipyards, and churches, and found colonies to generate goods and victory points.

Economic Management: Players manage their Cruzados, sell goods on the market, and use the Navegador card for extra actions.

Victory Points: Earned through exploration, colonization, selling/processing goods, and building. The player with the most victory points wins.

Player Experience

**Navegador** offers a smooth and thematic gameplay experience, with fast turns and basic actions that tie well into the theme of the Portuguese Age of Discoveries. Players need to balance exploration, economic management, and strategic building to succeed. The game is well-balanced, allowing different strategies to work, and it features a slight element of luck due to the random colony tokens, making each game unique.

Pros

Smooth Gameplay: Turns come very fast, and each action is very basic, making the game flow smoothly.

Thematic: The actions and theme are well-integrated, enhancing the overall experience.

Strategic Depth: Allows for various strategies, making it appealing to players who enjoy planning and adapting.

Replayability: The random colony tokens and the Navegador card add a layer of unpredictability and replay value.

Cons

High Cost of Changing Strategies: It can be costly to change strategies mid-game, which might limit flexibility.

Luck Factor: The random nature of colony tokens can introduce luck, which may not appeal to all players.

Personal Thoughts on Navegador

**Navegador** is ideal for fans of Euro strategy games and those who enjoy games with a strong historical theme. It is suitable for players who like planning and executing long-term strategies, and it offers a good balance between luck and strategy. The game is recommended for those looking for a game with smooth gameplay and deep strategic options, but may not be the best fit for players seeking high complexity or those who prefer games with minimal luck involved.

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