Game components: I'm a component buff, I admit it, but a small minus for me is that the tiles of my copy where cut-through badly aligned, which causes the tiles and patrons to have some off-side shapes. But they still 'function' within the game. The scoring board is has some nice graphics, but the complete feel of the components is a bit 'off'. (e.g. the scoring chits are a bit too big for the scoring mark)

Regions

Image by Timothy Pinkham

Game flow: The rules are explained in detail and with good examples. The game is played in four seasons, in which each player searches dig-sites in search for artifacts to display in the museum. The excavations are done by placing cubes on the different areas. The first 2 players of an region (those with the most placed cubes) get a tile from the region, or choose a room in the museum. (This last is very important, and may not be overlooked.) Every excavation tile has a patron on the back (save for one, which is worth 5 points). These patrons give extra possibilities from season 2 onwards. These include placing extra cubes, placing cubes on normal prohibited terrain, obtain extra cubes for placement, and (!) placing cubes in the museum before the end of the season (where you need to forfeit a terrain/patron to do so.)

Museum

Image by Thierry Géraud

Scoring is done during the first 4 seasons by taking tiles with have extra points on them (score right away); and at the end of the game during the museum exhibition where
- each patron card is worth at least one point (but is multiplied by 2/3/5 depending on the number of cubes in the museum room)
- each set of 5 different patron cards is also worth 5 points

The game is easy to explain, but has some nice options. During cube placement one need to consider the cards the other players have, check the number of cubes you can place, make sure you block the path for the other players, take an eye on the museum rooms, don't waste blocks one regions that are as good as taken by the other players, ... I've played it only with 3 players until know, but here the game has more challenges that one would guess at first glance, while it plays fluently, and there is good player interaction.

So, in all a fun, fast game, setup is quick, play is deep. A pity from the components in my copy, the artwork is great with the theme of the game though.

Rating: 7.5/10