What’s it about?
Get your workers out to collect resources, use your people wisely to get money and build building and make sure you have the most points in the end.


How does it work?
The game board consists of a set of quarries at the bottom and a bunch of building tiles at the top. Every player is given 6 worker meeples and a set of 8 worker cards. The game is played in 12 or 15 rounds during which each player can play and use one worker card.


At the start of a round every player secretly selects one of his eight worker cards. All cards are revealed at the same time and resolved in a predefined order. These cards basically allow the following things:

1) Placing of worker meeples at the quarries
This will allow you to collect a set of resources (sand, clay, wood, stone or silver) every time a meeple is (re)placed at one of the quarries.
2) Collecting resources
Resources can also be collected by playing a worker card which gives you a predefined set of resources. On top of that, you are also allowed to build buildings for half the points. (More later on buildings).
One specific worker card even lets you collect resources from other worker cards and allows you to place meeples on the board (More on that later as well).
3) Collecting money
Money is needed for several reasons and can be hard to come by. One card gives you 8 gold as a specific action.
4) Take all cards back at your hand
A played worker card can only be taken back at your hand when you play a specific card to allow you to do so. This card also gives you extra points if players build buildings.


With all these actions, you will be able to build buildings which will give you either victory points or money, depending on which character has built it. Once a building is build, and the building tile is put aside, worker places become available. Here you can place your meeples, after paying money, to get even more bonus points at the end of the game.

The game is over after 12 or 15 rounds, when all building points and bonus points from meeples are count. Winner is he who has the most points.

Where is the fun?
You might think that you've seen it all with worker placement, victory points and resource collecting. But you've not seen it with so much interaction. Everything is affecting everything without becoming too complicated or chaotic. There is also no element of luck in this game which sets it apart from the similar but easier 'Pillars of the Earth'.
EDIT: The main mechanic is the role selection and timing which makes this game more similar to Machiavelli than Pillars.

Why should I like this?
- High level of interaction
- Fast gameplay due to limited amount of rounds

Why shouldn’t I like this?
- Sick and tired of worker placement games
- The high interaction might lead to analysis paralysis for some players.

Final verdict
This game takes the 'worker placement' mechanic, which has been dumped down after Caylus back to a higher level without making a complicated and long game. It's fast with tons of interaction and tons of possibilities. And as a nice side effect, it looks great too. Highly recommended for euro-gamers.