On the desktop market, there has recently been another replenishment of the ranks. This time Hobby World has localized a Japanese board game! Why the choice fell on her and why I want to tell you about her, read in this article...

What's inside?

Cards, cards and more cards - that's what you'll see when you open the box. They will be sealed in two decks, one for a simple game, the other for a longer and more intense game (the second deck is an addition to the main game). You can, for example, print one deck and play, and leave the second for later.

Well, there are not only cards in the game, there are also a couple of dice and a bunch of money. =)

What is the game about?

The photo above shows two sides of 4 cards, below in unbuilt form, above in built form. Each of the players will have such a set (4 cards) and the main task is to earn money as quickly as possible and rebuild these 4 buildings. As soon as someone has achieved this, the game ends with an unconditional victory.

How to play?

In order to accumulate the required amount of money for target buildings, you will first have to establish a profit stream by building other profitable buildings. The fact is that any card in the game makes a profit, but by the will of fate, this profit is fickle. =)

On his turn, the player must roll 1 (or 2) dice, and can also buy (or build, as you like) one card.

The result of the dice roll is compared with the numbers on the cards of the players, and if there is a match, then the condition for triggering the card is looked (on your turn, on someone else's turn, on the turn of any player). Everything coincided - we get the money ...

Accordingly, after we figured out the activation of the cards, we can make one purchase with the funds that we own (the prices are indicated on the cards at the bottom left).

In principle, these are all the rules of the game, the main text load is on the cards themselves, so I will talk about them separately.

Types of cards.

Blue cards in the game work on the turn of any player and they are more attractive than others. The most delicious are the mines, bringing 5 coins each. If you grab them pieces 2-3, then the end of the game will not wait long. =)

Green cards can only be activated on your turn. As a rule, these are tastier cards than blue ones. Even the starting bakery, although it gives 1 coin, is activated by a two or three. It is not uncommon in the game when someone has collected, for example, a lot of forests and mines, bought a furniture factory and is waiting for an eight to roll, which can immediately ensure the purchase of any of the target buildings.

Red is the color of aggression. But here even aggression looks somehow kind in the form of cafes and restaurants. If the opponent rolled, for example, a triple, and you have a cafe, then he owes you money for a snack in your establishment. You can, of course, create a whole chain of coffee shops and open one of the target buildings so that the visitor pays double the amount ... Then going to the cafe turns into a nightmare. =) (Does it remind you of anything?)

A special purple card can only be present in the player in the singular and is activated by a six on his own turn. As a bonus, you can “warm up” well with your partner’s money, or even several.

In the photo above, you can see how your built enterprises look during the game.

Cards from an additional deck.
The add-on brings a lot of different cards to the game and increases the time of the game party. You can play according to the standard rules, as described above, that is, lay out all types of enterprises. But you will need twice as much space. Therefore, the creators of the game recommend a different version of the rules when playing with the addition: lay out 10 random types of enterprises and, when some of them run out, lay out new ones.
Let's take a closer look at the maps from the add-on.


Three more buildings that the player must build in order to win are in addition to the four from the base game. Moreover, one is already open, the second is very expensive (but if built, it will be very cool), and the third allows you to make dice rolls greater than 12!

New eating points for catching opponents in the game. Now you can fish on 1, 7 and 8.

So, we have a new icon related to seafood. Now, if you have a built port (it is very easy to build it), you can earn money on seafood. Also replenishment in the ranks of agricultural products in the form of a flower garden.

Purple cards, as always, are the coolest (that's why you can't keep more than one of them).

Now it makes sense to save up as many restaurants and cafes as possible. Restaurants operate on someone else's turn, and on your turn you can try to activate the Food Storage.
The flower shop works exclusively in conjunction with flower gardens, which is somehow weak compared to other enterprises.

Impressions.

Before us is a brilliant salad of famous game mechanics. In terms of the spirit of the gameplay, "Machi Koro" reminded everyone who played "Monopoly" and "Colonialists". As in Monopoly, there is a snowball of buildings and the excitement of not falling into the clutches of an opponent from an unsuccessful roll of dice. In the direction of the "Colonialists" blows the conditions for victory and the method of activating cards. But despite this, the taste of the game is special and independent.

A game without an addition with new players, along with an explanation, lasts no more than 40 minutes, with more experienced players, respectively, even less, which allows you to play 2-3 games in an evening, unless something else is planned, of course. With the add-on, a game party can last up to an hour (or maybe more).

When you sit down for "Machi Koro", you must accept the fact that the element of luck in the form of a roll of dice is able to overcome any player's strategy. So, for example, my first game was marked by regular rolls on 11 and 12, which personally disrupted the flow of funds from "more likely" enterprises for me. Therefore, one should not lose hope for a good throw here (although in most games it is the strategy that wins).

A few tips/observations after a dozen games without expansion:
- I won one of the first games using only one die. This is also a kind of strategy, when all players go into enterprises with values ​​greater than 6, and you do not allow them to cash in on yourself by rolling just one die and, accordingly, swinging enterprises with numbers up to 6.
- In no case should you ignore the purchase of red cards. If you don't buy it, others will, it's already been proven.
- If your opponents have a lot of cafes and restaurants, you need to develop a strategy to earn as much as possible in one move. And we must try to spend everything without a trace, so as not to give our earned coins to others. Even if I have one coin during the game, I buy a card with it.
- In the game, you can develop in different ways: either a little everywhere, then there will be a stable, but small income, or in one direction (for example, in farming). The second option is riskier and you can generally sit without money for a couple of moves, but if the cubes have already turned to you with the right face, you will bathe in gold. =) I always choose the second method, then excitement wakes up and emotions overflow.
- A deliberately losing strategy to collect cards of the same color (even blue ones). There is a category of people who like to collect beautiful sets. Warn them that this is a road to failure (or ask them why they even play if they don't want to win).

To whom do I recommend the game?
"Machi Koro" is suitable for everyone who wants to have a good time and does not really want to strain their brains (although you still have to think). This means that such a box will take root at home for family gatherings, in a cafe / anti-cafe / club for young companies, and in general wherever cheerful and cheerful people gather. =) An excellent addition to the collection for a family man like me. =)

The board game "Machi Koro" is an easy-to-learn city-building filler, where each of the participants, in numbers from two to five, plays the role of the mayor of a small town. The task of each mayor is to bring his city to prosperity before competitors do to their cities, and for this it is necessary to build a certain number of attractions, the number of which depends on the chosen variant of the game.

Initially, the base game is designed for four people, but the Russian-language version from Hobby World includes an expansion, thanks to which up to five players can take part in the party.

The game box contains the rules, two sealed decks of cards, two six-sided dice and cardboard molds with coins of different denominations.

The quality of the components is excellent. This applies to both materials and printing. But the cutting leaves much to be desired - and you have to carefully separate the coins from the forms so as not to inadvertently damage them.

Brief overview of the rules

The rules of Machi Koro are simple, and if someone in the group is familiar with the game, they can bring the rest of the players up to speed in five minutes. In short - each card in the game means some kind of enterprise that has certain properties, the cost of construction and the conditions under which it makes a profit.

In addition, each player has a number of landmark cards that they must put into play early in order to win. Each of the attractions not only brings their mayor closer to victory, but also gives him additional benefits. For example, it allows him to reroll the dice or roll two at once, which cannot be done initially.

Enterprises that bring income in the current turn are determined by throwing one or two dice according to the same principle as it happens in - what value fell out, such cards were played. But unlike the "Colonizers", where everyone receives income at once, in "Machi Koro" the recipients of benefits are determined using the color of the cards. And red cards, on top of that, allow you to take money not from the bank, but from the pocket of competitors.

If some enterprises bring profit directly, then others allow you to receive income from other cards. For example, a furniture factory in itself does not bring money, but it allows you to make a profit from forests and mines. So, acquiring production, you need to provide it with raw materials, otherwise you can not hope for income from it.

Impressions

The game left an ambiguous impression about itself. We played several games as a four-man team, and everyone was satisfied with the results. But I, unlike the others, did not particularly like the game, although for the company I could well play it more than once.

This is where personal preference comes into play. I don't like random where it shouldn't be. In the same or he is quite appropriate. These are adventure games where the emphasis is on story and atmosphere. And if the gameplay is based on calculation, then randomness should be either minimized or regulated by the game mechanics. Excellent examples of such games are and.

But as I said, everyone else liked the game, so it's better to try it yourself.

Summary

Machi Koro is a good filler, the rules of which are explained in five minutes. Because of this, the game is good to play with beginners, but experienced players may not like the high impact of randomness.

• Game page on the publisher's website: http://hobbyworld.ru/machi-koro.
• I thank the Hobby World company for the provided game.
• More reviews - by.

In a small ordinary room, a man overgrown with bristles lies lazily on the sofa and clicks the TV channels with the remote control. Stupid news, an idiotic movie, stupid blondes made up, stupid pop hits ... Everything is not right ... He starts to doze ... But his slumber was interrupted by advertising ...

… Ta-dam!!! (music loud)

Drawn scissors appear on the left side of the screen, and right side a stack of colored paper comes out.

Scissors begin to randomly cut sheets of paper. The cut pieces are put together.

suddenly cut colored paper starts to take shape. There was a cafe, a stadium, which the announcer spoke about.

(voice behind the scene) And here is the bakery that will bake the most delicious bread in the world. On weekends you will travel with your family to shopping center shopping ... Here it is, beautiful, huge, with a large parking lot. Each building will be guaranteed to bring you profit, for which you can then buy something new. For instance…

Water appears on the screen outside the city limits, scissors begin to cut out new figures. The port appears.

Little people appear, they scurry back and forth, sometimes they stop and wave their hands at you. You watch a flat paper city grow.

From the left, a small helicopter flies out, holding a box on a hook that says Machi Koro.

A year ago board game Machi Koro(MK) lit up at an exhibition in Essen. Moreover, it lit up and immediately disappeared into oblivion, because very few copies were brought to the exhibition. The excitement around the game was serious - those who managed to buy the game admired the simple mechanics and insanely cool gameplay, while the rest, who also wanted to join the lucky ones who bought the game, had to wait for the English edition. I was among the second - who were waiting.

As a hype addict, it was very difficult for me to resist the temptation to add the game to the wishlist. Here is what I highlighted in the game in the first place:

- it japanese game, but it is not traditionally Japanese, with which they love to regale those whose heart belongs to Japan, and an evil fate threw them into a completely different place on the planet. This is a typical modern Japanese game - simple gameplay, minimalism and compactness are served here;

- Roll the dice at Machi Koro! Cubes! Hooray!

- a card game, no fields and hundreds of resource tokens. Only cards.

It seemed that this miracle game could be expected forever, which did not inspire optimism. But here hobby world stunned by the news that he is releasing this game in Russian. It is very nice when the game that you have been waiting for so long can be easily purchased at your favorite board game store located in your city. I haven't been this happy in a long time hobby world.

Machi Koro is a card Sim City - a city building simulator with a unique infrastructure. Any enterprise brings money, for which you can build new enterprises or attractions. The task of the players is to build all the available attractions. Whoever does it first wins.

The game cannot be called unique. Machi Koro is a fusion of what you may have seen before. Imagine what happens if you mix monopoly, colonizers and I'm not afraid of this word, Dominion. The resulting vinaigrette (or you can take the Japanese version - sushi) is MK.

The rules are amazingly easy to explain. Literally after half a minute of listening to a lecture on urban planning, I already made the first move!

sights

There are 2 types of maps in the game - enterprises and attractions. Businesses generate income in the form of coin tokens. Attractions have some kind of one useful property and lead to victory - for this they need to be built, i.e. pay money for them. Each player starts the game with only 2 business cards and 3 coins (a kind of small town or even a village). On his turn, he can buy for coins and immediately build any of the enterprises that are laid out in piles and available to all players. In order for the enterprise to generate income, at the beginning of the turn, the player rolls a die. Each enterprise has a number on top - from 1 to 12. At the beginning of the game, the player rolls one die and receives profit from the enterprise card corresponding to the number that has fallen (how many coins to take is written on the card). By building one of the attractions, the player will be able to roll 2 dice, thereby gaining the ability to use the abilities of buildings with a higher number. As a rule, the higher the number, the more profit the card brings.

starting village

Enterprises, in turn, are divided into 3 types - catering / red (take away money from other players), raw enterprises / blue (bring income on any player’s turn), shops, factories, markets / green (bring income only on their turn), large businesses/purple (generate income from other players, but on their turn). Due to the fact that enterprises are different in terms of the way they bring money, the tactics of the players may differ.

As soon as the player builds the last, fourth, point of interest, he wins the game.

Let them talk

The opinions about the game that I heard before I got to know it can be divided into 2 parts. Some said that the game was simple, but cute and very enjoyable, while others said that it was boring and too gatey. Those same "second" as a rule were hardcore, accustomed to while away the time for complex games for which you can break the brain. Surprisingly, for the most part, these geeks were Russian desktop players, many of whom I used to trust.

So what is Machi Koro? Which side did I choose?

To begin with, when I unpacked the game, I already had a rough idea of ​​what awaits me. Still, this game is on my wishlist!

I really like the style of the game. It is mosaic-animated. It feels like you are building a toy city. It seems to me that this style definitely adds a point to the game.

I mentioned at the beginning of the article that MK reminds me of 3 games. The thing about Monopoly is that you roll the die and make a profit from the building if you bought it. You just don't need to move the chip anywhere. From the Colonizers - the ability to make a profit during someone else's turn. And from the Dominion that all enterprises available for purchase lie in piles, and they have the ability to end.

In itself, the gameplay for an experienced player may seem primitive - you throw a roll and hope that the number of the enterprise that you have will fall out. The same thing happens when another player rolls the dice - now you hold your fingers so that the number of any blue enterprise comes up (makes a profit on any player's turn, I remind you).

The player's task is divided into two stages:

1) choose the moment when it is better to move to two dice. To do this, you must already have built several enterprises above the 6th in order to receive profit from them;

2) as quickly as possible to make sure that every move the money flows into your pocket like a river. One of the attractions costs as much as 22 coins, which at the beginning of the game seems like just a huge amount. There is no way to do without a cunning strategy;)

It seems that your success depends only on one roll of the die, but the player's task is to build enterprises in such a way that every move (even someone else's) is beneficial for you. What are the best maps to build? Green, blue, red? If this article was about strategy in MK, then I would give a whole bunch of tips on how you can win the game without much effort and without putting spells on the cube =) But it would be better if you try to come up with your own strategies, and then share them here or on Teser.

You can play MK from 2 to 5 players. I tested the game on 2, 3 and 4 players. Feelings are slightly different with different numbers of players. Least of all I liked to play together, because. the inflow of money decreases during someone else's move. The difference between the minimum and maximum players is that the fewer players, the greater the stability of capital. When the game was decomposed into 4, then while you are waiting for your turn, you can climb a dozen coins, and stir up something unrealistically cool in your turn. The fewer players, the less chance of unexpectedly getting rich (and sometimes losing all the money as well). I personally liked playing with a larger squad - it turns out a little more fun. But at the same time, the duel game also does not have punctures in the gameplay.

In the game, it is important to guess the moment when it is worth buying buildings with a number greater than 6 and switch to rolls of two dice. If you do this earlier than necessary, you will have to save coins for a long time. If it's too late, other players will bypass and it will be difficult to catch up.

My opinion? Cool toy! Now I know what Monopoly fans can get hooked on. The same purchase of real estate, the same profit from it, but MK is a modern game and it looks cool.

And yet, I believe that the game is random, no matter what anyone says. How can you influence the cube? There is only one attraction that allows you to reroll the dice. Therefore, if you are afraid of randomness, then you should immediately save up for this card. On the other hand, cubes should be like that - they should surprise, upset and delight =) This is a six-sided mechanism for obtaining different emotions =)

Expansion cards have a special icon at the bottom right

Maybe someone will find the base simple and fast. For example, it seemed to me that the game goes too fast. For such people, for whom the base turns out to be not very strategic, add-on cards were put into the box. By the way, this is just a great solution from the outside. hobby world, because it would be possible to release additional separately (and how many screams would be ...). In our case, if someone wants to “load the game”, then he will not have to run to the store for new cards - they are all in the box.

The add-on does not bring anything radically new to the game. One new starting card will give you the opportunity to take one coin at the start of your turn if you don't have any. Added 2 attractions and 10 types of different businesses. In particular, new enterprises dilute the old ones, and now you will have a choice which, for example, to take a 4-rku, because there are already several of them. So I recommend moving to the extras immediately after the first game in the base.

Enterprises from dopa

Machi Koro- an excellent choice for those who have recently become interested in tabletops. I think that through this game you can easily get hooked on board games, because it has almost everything that beginners like so much - bright colors, cards, dice, coins, a la Monopoly, etc. But the reaction of geeks can be ambiguous, because the game is essentially simple, and they themselves know how they react to board games where you don’t have to think much. I like her just for that. Quickly laid out, quickly threw cubes, accumulated coins, built everything, won (or lost). I understand why some people do not like the game, but, fortunately, their nit-picking does not bother me at all.

Can't say how long Machi Koro can hold the player. I am sure that if you do not play too often, then it will last for a long time.

For some reason, I still feel like calling it hipster. Mostly because of the design =)

Recently HW pleased us with the fact that they released another addition to the game. Of course, there will be new businesses and attractions. Or maybe some new mode. What else do we need to be happy?

So, in summary, a stylish game about building a city with the help of dice rolls and the development of enterprises. You can learn to play very quickly, desktop experience behind you may even be absent. Simple, moderately random. Recommended for novice players and those who love casual games, but experienced players are not deprived of the opportunity to enjoy the game. Good game my recommendations to you!

Board game Machi Koro courtesy of Hobby World for review.

Fans of the original and unusual always stop their eyes on the classic Japanese board games. You have all heard about them and you will perfectly understand what is at stake as soon as such words as Go (a game based on traditional checkers), Manjong (the famous solitaire game), Karuto (a list of poems written by a Japanese poet), Shogu (a prototype of a chess game) are spoken nearby. games), Sudoku and more. Fans of Eastern culture know all the subtleties of the rules of these masterpieces. Have you heard of them at least? And you know, these games are still popular. The Land of the Rising Sun introduced us to a huge number of interesting games, developing thinking and increasing the logical level, training memory and perseverance, allowing you to play both two players and big company. And let the rules are not always clear the first time. But having figured it out, it will be difficult to stop you ... But progress does not stand still. Board games in Japan continue to evolve. And if cardboard box, which I want to talk about now, does not claim to be a brilliant logical masterpiece, it at least reminds that the culture of Japan is extremely attractive. And Japanese board game designers are still trying to win the eyes of Europeans. Meet Machi Koro...

Brief characteristics

• Type: Card city building
• Publisher: Hobby World
• Difficulty of rules: Simple
• Game time: 30 to 45 minutes
• Number of players: 2 to 5 players
• Age of players: from 7 years old
• Language: localized into Russian

Purpose of the game in a nutshell

“You have to become the mayor of a small town, which can become the most prosperous in the district. Build cafes and shops, establish production and increase revenues to the city budget. But remember that rival mayors are not asleep - they also dream of building the most best city on the ground. You are in for a serious race, and the one who will be the first to decorate their streets with sights will win.

In fact, the rules are quite simple and not loaded. Essentially, you need to earn a certain amount of coins by triggering the effects of the laid out cards so that you can allow four points of interest to line up in front of you. The player who gets rich first and flips these cards over is the winner.

Game mechanics

By tradition, we will analyze the game by the type of mechanics used.

• Card Drafting - games in which a player draws cards from a certain common pool (usually from several decks) in order to receive an immediate game benefit or place them in his hand or another of his personal zones. Games in which cards are simply drawn from a common deck are not card selection games. In this case, players are offered the opportunity to draw cards to their playing area due to the rolled value of the game die.
• Dice Rolling - games in which the next action of the player directly depends on the rolled value of the game die.

And now, speaking plain language. Each player has a personal play area in front of him, in which there are four landmark cards (and also in which he will develop his city by building various enterprises). Recall that the goal of the game is to flip these cards (that is, to build landmark buildings) for a certain amount of money. The only question remains - how to make money?

In front of the players there is another special common area with reserve cards. These are cards of buildings-enterprises that give a certain effect when they are activated (including income!). It is possible to activate or build a card solely based on the results of the game die roll. So what does the gameplay look like?

The player's turn consists of two phases.

1. income phase.

The active player rolls a die (one or two, according to the game rules). According to the results of the roll, all players can receive income. The rules for generating income are described in detail on each game card (all cards are divided into color categories that show in which turn the player makes a profit, and also due to what - the total bank or the bank of one of the players).

1. Construction phase.

In this phase, the active player takes one of three actions - building another enterprise (to make a profit), building a landmark (to get closer to victory), or not building (which is more of a necessary measure).

The first player to build four Landmark cards is the winner, earning the title of the city's best mayor!

On this, all the intricacies of the game rules end, not counting the features game cards(You can learn more about this in the game rules).

My opinion about the game

To be honest, my impressions are quite controversial and chaotic. Before the very first acquaintance with the game, I read several opinions, reviews, looked at a specialized forum and glanced at the rules. Someone praised the game, someone vice versa, but all as one reduced the conversation to the fact that the game in its mechanics resembles the famous "Colonialists". Apparently that's what got me.

This time I will not single out the pros and cons of the game separately, but I will try to objectively approach the overall assessment point by point. So.

Registration. Probably stupid to attribute this position to the shortcomings. The box design is attractive, but here's what's waiting inside... No organizer to store components, thin playing cards, large "deposits" of unused space. Everything is quite standard and ordinary. But it still leaves a bad aftertaste.

Mechanics. For me personally, games based solely on dice rolls fall into the one-shot category. Too much of the gameplay is due to chance. What can not be said about the "Colonialists". This is where the question arose - why did "Machi Koro" not arouse such interest, with fairly similar mechanics? Perhaps this is due to the theme and the complete lack of a gaming atmosphere. Yes, this is a European style game and you shouldn't have expected much from it. But she didn't really catch on. In addition, the question of interaction arises. The basic rules do not allow players to influence each other. Two red cards meant to change that don't help at all. Therefore, the lack of dialogue, conflict between the players, the lack of the ability to influence the course of the game make it too simple for refined taste and lovers of various kinds of confrontations (in turn, in "Colonialists" you can at least bargain with an opponent).

Dynamics and downtime(waiting for own move). Officially stated from 30 minutes. In fact, the game goes much faster if all players are familiar with the maps and general mechanics. The whole game is reduced to throwing dice and laying out the next card on the playing field. Therefore, you will not see much depth, but at the same time, you will practically not have to wait for your move. You will not have time to roll the die, as you immediately need to receive income for the roll of the opponent's die. You are constantly involved in the game. This is an undeniable advantage.

Informative workload of components. It seemed to me that it was extremely necessary to replace all the text on the existing cards with a set of universal characters. Yes, the gameplay is quite fleeting, but it certainly slows down the reading of the cards. What is this for? It was not very clear to me.

Rules. The barrier to entry into the game is very low. This means that it will take you about ten minutes to figure out the complexities of the rules. Everything is written in clear and accessible language. No problems or complaints.

Availability of extensions. The base version includes the Machi Koro: Harbor Expansion add-on. Still, the basic version is only for reference. The mechanics get boring too quickly and the game becomes boring. But with additional cards ... It becomes an order of magnitude more interesting. Particularly pleased with the presence of a new mode - namely, the creation of a reserve deck in a random way. Now, not every value of the game die will be useful. Try to adapt to new conditions. Simple strategies are unlikely to work.

Strategy and tactics. Unfortunately, the game is not rich in tactical solutions. The basis is still the theory of the probability of falling out of one or another number. But don't despair. In any case, you have to think. Interesting strategies for combining the properties of several types of maps (such as "Forest" and "Furniture Factory"); construction of the "Station" at the very beginning of the game, to minimize the opponent's income after your throws; purchase of enterprises of all price categories to obtain a minimum guaranteed income; using aggressive tactics by building red buildings and so on. Let the choice is not great and makes the game quite predictable. The main thing is that the gameplay is intuitive for everyone. Throw a die, get income, build a building, watch your opponents roll.

Price. The game captivates with its accessibility. The cost does not exceed 800 rubles. Decent choice for its price range. And don't forget that you're paying not only for a few pieces of cardboard, but for original idea. Therefore, do not grumble non-sellers. They are working hard for you.

Summarizing all of the above. Not bad, I would even say, a very decent option for family gatherings. Excellent conflict-free card game, which will allow you to pass a couple of hours. No deep thinking and heavy fighting. Simple and tasteful. Ideal as a game to "warm up" before a more serious and difficult strategy, or as an option for an easy and fun pastime.

Impressions and emotions from the game

The game was tried by several teams. The first acquaintance took place in the form of a duel. Nothing extraordinary was expected. Here we got nothing. Three games were played. We discovered two game tactics: an aggressive game with the construction of red buildings and an attempt to “destroy” the opponent’s bank and the construction of “connected” cards (“Forest and Furniture Factory”, “Farm” and “Cheese Factory”). As a result, the first tactic was rejected, since the player can constantly keep his bank empty. And you won't make a lot of money doing it. But I really liked the construction of “multiplying” actions. Buying raw materials, and then special enterprises, leads to the expectation of a die roll with a certain value. Threw away - earned a large amount that can be instantly spent on the construction of attractions. In general, all three games ended like that. A lucky roll and the game is over. Which confirmed some concerns about the randomness of the gameplay.

A few days later, the game was tested in a different composition. Three players, two of which are just crazy about the "Colonialists". A good advertisement for Machi Koro did its job, but didn't quite live up to expectations.

New tactics have now been discovered. In one of which you initially show interest in the “Station” and buildings for rolling two dice (to minimize the opponent’s income), and the second is an attempt to play with only one die. Both tactics paid off, but still the game was reduced to the construction of "connected" cards. There was nothing to be done about it.

Also, the value of red cards at the very beginning of the game, when coins are extremely important, and then the possibility of building all types of enterprises, in order to obtain a minimum but guaranteed income, were discovered. It cannot be said that it somehow changed the course of the game. We tried. Some liked it, some didn't.

The main thing is that all the playing time each player was fully involved in the gameplay. Constant income, dice rolls, an attempt to create conflict out of the blue. Let the conflict not work out, let the game be extremely dependent on the throw of small hexagons, but the game definitely “went” (sorry for the liberties). For some, it may seem boring, not interesting and not dynamic. But it seems to me that the author did not try to put a deep meaning into it. The game is very simple and that's what it captivates. If you want to diversify the gameplay, use the extension (it is in the basic localized version). We tried it - we liked it. It complicates a little and becomes more interesting. Don't like cubes? Then this game is not for you... Try something else...

Interesting facts about the game

• The game was developed by Japanese board game designer Masao Suganuma and first published in 2012;
• The game has three official expansions: Machi Koro: Gaming Mega Store, Machi Koro: Harbor Expansion, Machi Koro: Millionaire's Row, which include additional playing cards. Also on the network you can find Machi Koro: Fabrique de jouets du Père Noël - a map that does not exist, but you can print it and include it in the game;
• In Russia, the game was localized by Hobby World. Storefronts showcase the original version of Machi Koro, as well as the expansion of Machi Koro Sharp.
• Original translation of the game: City Day (from Japanese);
Official page of the game.

Play with pleasure!

Somehow it is no longer customary to remember Yuri Luzhkov, but now a cap would be in place. " Machi Koro» fully implements the model of chaotic urban development in order to maximize profits. You just have to remember to constantly squint - the game is Japanese!

Machi Koro is a city-building card game invented by Masao Suganuma and published in Russia by Mir Hobby. Although it is positioned as economic strategy, here it is more correct to talk about a tactical filler for 2-5 players. In any case, the economic component is not so deep, but there is a lot of pleasure and fun, as in a typical toy for the company!

The rules are quite simple. Truth. Despite the name, no one needs to be killed; players simply assume the roles of mayors. Each starts with four unbuilt points of interest that provide special bonuses, and two ready-made base enterprises. It is necessary to develop your city through the construction of new enterprises so that you get enough income and open all the attractions. Whoever does it first, he did well, in the sense he won. On his turn, the player rolls one or two dice (the choice allows you to make the Station) and if the result of the roll coincides with the number indicated on the cards of the players, the effects indicated on them occur: usually this is income from the general bank, or - here all some are probably happy rub their hands - the money is taken from the active player or even all at once and transferred to the lucky one. Some enterprises are activated only on their turn, and some - at any time. After that, the active player can, if he wants and has the means, build one thing: a cafe, a shop, an apple orchard, a cheese factory, a mine, a business center, etc.

So, the rules are really simple, but then the scope for tactics begins. For example, enterprises are divided by industry and some cards will allow you to receive additional income from certain industries, which leads to the idea of ​​​​creating clusters. It is also worth constantly thinking about how many dice to throw: increase your chances of earning more or risk activating unpleasant effects on your opponents? Well, it is also necessary for oneself to determine the order of point urban development - in what order to close the possible numerical row of cubes. On the other hand, the will of chance in the game is high - a lot depends on how the "bones fall". I would not call this a disadvantage, rather a feature of this game, but not everyone may like this.

The set includes two dice, 60 cardboard coins, 117 base game cards and, note, 73 expansion cards that add new businesses, points of interest, and effects. Thus, having mastered the game, you can immediately develop it at no additional cost. The cards are small, not that thin, but perhaps after some use they will wrinkle and fray. There is no organizer, and without it, all this stuff will just hang out in the box.

Machi Koro is played extremely fast. Two players will keep within 20 minutes, and three - about half an hour. These short sessions are perfect for a short break from work or fun on the go. The game time can be extended with an add-on, which already requires six points of interest to be rebuilt. And unlike those big games, you won’t get bored here, waiting for your move: everything happens quickly, you are constantly in business, which pleases.

What the game lacks is interaction between players. Agree, to transfer money to each other for triggered effects, this is not communication. There is no dialogue or dramatic conflict, in fact, players can influence each other and the game in a very limited way.

Machi Koro has a nice clean design with all those painted houses, shops and radio towers so cozy and Japanese kawaii. For some reason, the game evoked associations with Tiny Tower; purely on an emotional level. Everything is clear in the brochure with the rules, the effect of each card is written on it, in addition, there are color hints: cards that bring income from the bank only on their turn are green, on any turn they are blue, on someone else’s turn and taking away from others are red, taking away in your turn - purple.

The spirit of the country of the Rising Sun is felt in everything. No, you won’t find schoolgirls with katanas and tentacles in Machi Koro, but the very principle of a miniaturized game is Japanese here, i.e. squeezed down to a simple card filler of some Monopoly. "Machi Koro" can become both a regular entertainment for a couple or small company, and a step into really complex and real economic strategies. In general, we recommend.