Game: Century: Golem Edition
Designer: Emerson Matsuuchi
Published: Plan B Games
Players: 2-5
Playtime: 30-45 Minutes
Play Type: Engine Builder/ Card Drafting
Synopsis:
You are a caravan leader, traveling up and down the exotic Golem Road. You hope to gain and deliver the rare crystals that can be bought and sold on the beautiful Golem Road. Your goal is to be the strongest merchant on the road, racing to make the best deals before competing caravans reach fame and fortune.
Game Play:
One of the most wonderful things about Century: Golem Edition is the simplicity of the rules. The rules are included on only one sheet, and are fairly easy to remember and to teach. There are only 4 actions a player may take in their turn. First, players may play a card from their hand and doing that action. Second, a player may purchase a card from the market. Third, a player may purchase a point scoring card. Finally, players may retrieve the cards they have played back into their hand.
Players are racing to create the best engine possible. The first player to gain six of the point scoring cards triggers the end of the game. The player with the most points between the point scoring cards, and point scoring coins. This is the main gist of the game. It is very simple to teach, with only a few clarifying rules beyond those actions.
Components:
Century: Golem Edition is one of the most high quality filler games that I have gotten this year. The components are really what catches the eye. The gems are vibrant, and shiny. The artwork is bright and welcoming. I love all of the elements of this version of this game. It is why I prefer this version to Century: Spice Road.
Overview:
Positives:
- Beautifully illustrated
- Extremely quick player turns
- Easily understood for those unfamiliar with Eurogames
- Different strategies are easy to learn
Negatives:
- Coin values can be confusing
- Expansions only will be for other versions
Century: Golem Edition was a non-necessary purchase for me, because I already own Spice Road. That being said I have no regrets in picking up this version. The game components are beautiful, and I find it is more inviting for non-gamers with the vibrant art style. My only complaint about the two versions is that the expansions are only coming to the Spice Road edition. Players who pick up the Spice Road will be missing out on any further additions to the series.
Beyond aesthetics, I find that Century: Golem Edition is one of the most frequently played games on my shelf. This is for multiple reasons, but the main reason I like Century is that it is easy to reteach myself. The game only includes a one page rule book. The simplicity does not make the game any less fun though. The fast-paced game play and the strategy of when to take new cards from the market or which cards to aim for to score adds interesting options to game play.
If you are in the market for a beautiful and easy to teach filler game, I would suggest this one. I prefer it to other engine building games such as Splendor. This is in my top 10 games I would suggest for someone trying to get into the hobby as well. While it is not overwhelming when learning rules, it still has beautiful components and strong strategic game play.
The Meeple Street 