PLAYED FOR YOU

Tempest Courtier

Petitions, intrigues and influence

The City State of Tempest provides the background for an epic story with recurring characters who change and develop, come and go. Each game of the series tells part of the Saga. In Courtier we manipulate influence and favors at court and try to control courtiers or factions. You being with a starting hand from Power and Influence cards. In your turn you play either an influence or a power card and implement it, or you discard cards or take an influence marker from reserve you’re your pool; finally, you can finalize a petition. In order to do so you must control the courtiers named on the petition and discard the corresponding influence markers. For completed petitions you draw Fashion cards which generate neutral influence. At the end of your turn you fill your hand to five cards, from the Influence or Power deck, at your choice. To control a courtier you must have the majority of influence on him, that is, more markers then others on him on the board. If you control a group of courtiers you receive a bonus card with special abilities of the group. The display of petitions is replenished from the stack. When the Fashion Card "The Queen has been arrested" is drawn the game ends instantly and you win with most points from completed petition cards and bonuses from cards and abilities.

As the introductory game to the series Courtier provides lots of flair and atmosphere and also introduces characters that we will meet in other games. The game itself is more or less standard striving for majority using card effects, but the idea of a series of games with a continuing storyline is fascinating and well implemented.

Players: 2-4

Age: 10+

Time: 45+

Designer: Philippe duBarry

Artist: Andrew Hepworth, Jeff Himmelman

Price: ca. 30 Euro

Publisher: Alderac Entertainment 2012

Web: www.alderac.com

Genre: Placement game, majorities

Users: With friends

Version: en

Rules: en

In-game text: yes

Comments:

Game 1 of the Tempest series

Rather high chance element due to drawing cards, events and the abrupt end due to appearance of one card

Good mix of mechanisms otherwise

Compares to:

Placement games for majorities

Other editions:

Currently none

Chance (pink): 1

Tactic (turquoise): 1

Strategy (blue): 1

Creativity (dark blue): 0

Knowledge (yellow): 0

Memory (orange): 0

Communication (red): 0

Interaction (brown): 2

Dexterity (green): 0

Action (dark green): 0