PLAYED FOR YOU

Viva Java

The Coffee Game

Not a quiz game, not a life style game but a semi-cooperative negotiation game in which a group of experienced Fields Researchers travels all over the world to find best-selling coffee blends. If you travel furthest and are most diligent you will be promoted and can retire in style - with a life-long supply of coffee!

In the course of the game you develop and research new blends of coffee in ever-changing teams. Each round of the game comprises three distinct phases which are repeated until one of the three end-of-game conditions is met. Then you win with the highest total of points acquired from Blending and Researching.

In the field phase players alternate to place their explorer markers on a map of the world and collect beans; then players sort themselves into teams and either blend coffee to score or research to acquire abilities. In this phase a lot of discussion happens; you can make promises you never intend to keep and negotiate until all players are able to decide which side of their Blend/Research marker they want to show. The action of a team is decided by a majority vote. Then, in the third phase, plays add new blends to the best-seller list and calculate their score. Then the mixtures „degrade“ and become weaker.

When there is not enough room available for new blends or when a player manages to reach the end of four ability tracks or arrives at a total score of 21 the game ends and all players add up their points for their final score.

Unusual, with an immensely interesting topic and equally interesting game mechanics; you need to plan, to interact, to force alliances - a real power package of a game!

Players: 3-8

Age: 13+

Time: 90+

Designer: T.C. Petty III

Art: Christopher Kirkman, Darrell Louder, T.C. Petty III

Price: ca. 45 Euro

Publisher: Dice Hate Me Games 2012

Web: www.dicehatemegames.com

Genre: Worker Placement

Users: With friends

Special: Many players

Version: en

Rules: en

In-game text: yes

Comments:

Good mix of planning and interaction, luck and strategy

Alliances are essential, as is adaption to unexpected events

Stunning components

Compares to:

First game of this kind and topic, basically worker placement and negotiation games

Other editions:

Currently none

Chance (pink): 1

Tactic (turquoise): 2

Strategy (blue): 2

Creativity (dark blue): 0

Knowledge (yellow): 0

Memory (orange): 0

Communication (red): 2

Interaction (brown): 2

Dexterity (green): 0

Action (dark green): 0