This is another game from Friedemann Friese (
Powergrid,
Factory Manager etc). I really like the games this guy produces and this one is no exception.
The components for this are very good quality, from the wooden resource tokens to the wonderful artwork on the cards and boards
Essentially this is an economics game where you sell hops, barley, and spring water to the local breweries in order to make enough money to complete your palace. If a brewer receives more than he wants then the prices get less but if receives less then he needs the price goes up which makes it possible for players to try to manipulate the prices for future turns. In order to help achieve this you can build improved fields or additional buildings to aid you along the way. Eventually you start to build your Palace, but in order to do this you have to sacrifice one of your buildings or fields. This leads to a shortage of areas earning you money, so planning how and when to start your Palace is crucial.
There is an easy starting game but there are also advanced rules which mean you have to build the parts of your palace on specific squares. This is a very enjoyable game, is quite easy to learn and quick to play.
In fact the first time we played this at
Raiders we played a 2nd game straight away.
A worthy addition to anyone's collection.