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The Pillars of the Earth
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Product Description
The Pillars of the Earth is based on the bestselling novel by Ken Follett and the 2006 game in the Kosmos line of literature-based games.
At the beginning of the 13th century, construction of the greatest and most beautiful cathedral in England begins. Players are builders who try to contribute the most to this cathedral's construction and, in so doing, score the most victory points. Gameplay roughly consists of using workers to produce raw materials, and then using craftsmen to convert the materials into victory points. Workers may also be used to produce gold, the currency of the game. Players are also given three master builders each turn, each of which can do a variety of tasks, including recruiting more workers, buying or selling goods, or just obtaining victory points. Getting early choices with a master builder costs gold, as does purchasing better craftsmen. Players must strike a balance between earning gold to fund their purchases and earning victory points.
Product Awards
Game of the Year, 2008
Recommended, 2007
Board Game Artwork/Presentation Nominee, 2007
Family Board Game Nominee, 2007
Gamer's Board Game Nominee, 2007
Product Information
Designer(s):
Michael Rieneck ,Stefan Stadler Manufacturer(s):
Thames & Kosmos Artist(s):
Thilo Rick ,Anke Pohl ,Michael Menzel Year: 2017
Players: 2 - 4
Time: 90 - 120 minutes
Ages: 12 and up
Weight: 1,075 grams
Product Reviews
Average Rating: 4.5 in 7 reviews
I played this game with a friend and must admit it was a mind-blowing experience. I liked the components, artwork and, in the end, theme of this game. It had an interesting mechanic of choosing between options that are on the board which made it a very good decision-making game. It wasn't as smooth-flowing a game as I would have liked it to be with set-up and choosing order of play and various other things that had to be done in the sequences of play. This is the only reason I don't give it a five-star rating though. The board is awesome and the theme of building cathedrals in medieval europe is great although I wasn't originally struck by this theme when I first saw it in the store and in the games100 list. It was game of the year but I didn't really think I would like it. It is a fantastic game, though.
The Pillars of the Earth is an engaging game that well deserves its "Game of the Year" status. It has a unique game mechanic that allows for multiple decisions and planning ahead. Although it does involve a little bit of strategy in trying to grab certain elements for your cathedral construction in order to benefit yourself in the victory points, it isn't much of a competition game like most eurogames. In fact, it fits the new trend in eurogames where it is more of a solitaire game played in turns while racing other people, somewhat like a similar "build it for your own benefit" mechanic that drives Zooloretto.
Don't get me wrong, I like the mechanic a lot. The board is absolutely stunning, and the theme works very well. Even though the wooden blocks that build the actual cathedral are really just glorified round markers, there is something satisfying in a tactile way to being able to place them.
The winner is never determined until the final count and the games are very close, but the strategy involved is a bit looser. It is a hard game to predict, but it is always interesting and moves along quite quickly. Despite all the elements that seem daunting when you first open the box, one round of play makes everything make sense.
Great family game that doesn't take too much out of you.
The Pillars of the Earth is a truly fantastic game. It's easy to learn, but like all great strategy games, the straightforward goals and rules lead to much "deeper" gameplay.
Each player is trying to contribute to the construction of a cathedral. Players send their workers to gather stone, wood and sand, then used their craftsmen to fashion these raw materials into something impressive that will contribute to the construction of the cathedral. The players' contributions are measured in victory points. Whoever has the most victory points wins.
- The right amount of luck - There are randomly drawn cards
which cause events and alter each player's abilities, but you may
use your gold supply in bidding to claim the "good cards" or be
exempt from the "bad" ones. There is just enough luck to keep
you in eager anticipation, but not enough to destroy your well-
made plans.
- Many different ways to win - You can contribute to the cathedral
in many ways: woodwork, stone walls, mortar are your staples.
But as the game goes on, you may also hire an architect or
goldsmith, build bells, make stained glass windows, bells and
even and a pipe organ. The craftsmen use different resources to
earn victory points, so you have a lot of options as to what your
focus will be.
- Very little down-time - Players are usually taking actions at the
same time or one after the other in quick succession. This game
keeps you engaged.
- Everyone has a chance - Even if you fall behind, you can very
turn the tables quickly if you put in a big enough bid for an
important craftsman or privilege card. It's always fun totaling up
the victory points at the end of the turn and watching the point
markers jump past each other.
- Perfect gamelength - once you get the rules down pat in your
first game, later games shouldn't take more than 90 minutes. I
personally enjoy playing long wargames like Axis & Allies, but I
am very satisfied with the amount of strategy the designers have
fit into such a short game.
- Great components - This game looks very cool. The board is
very nicely illustrated and the wooden pieces are cool. The
components add a lot to the gameplay experience, too. For
example, when you send your workers to gather stone, you
place them in the quarry on the board. When it's time to gather
the stone, you remove them from the quarry along with several
gray blocks representing the fruit of their labor.
I've played this game now with two very different groups of people, and both seemed to enjoy it. Pick up a copy of the Pillars of Earth. It's very deserving of the accolades it has received.
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