Greg Schloesser
United States
Talbott
Tennessee
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Editor's Note: My full review of Mykerinos will appear soon.
I’ve been well pleased with the offerings from the relatively new French company Ystari Games. I thoroughly enjoy Ys, the company’s first release, and think Caylus is the best game released in 2005. Since both of these games were released at Essen, I was a bit surprised that their latest title from new designer Nicolas Oury was released now. I was most eager to give it a try, and had the opportunity to play twice during a recent excursion to Cincinnati. I was not disappointed.
Players represent archaeologists searching the tombs and ruins of Egypt for precious artifacts. Not only must they discover these long-buried treasures, but they must also arrange for a prominent display in the British museum. Seems all of the good Egyptian artifacts eventually come to rest in Britain!
The game is actually a two-tiered struggle for dominance: in the fields of Egypt and in the halls of the museum. Each round, eight tiles (12 in the fourth and final round) are set in a rectangular pattern, and players will place cubes, representing workers, onto these tiles, hoping to grab dominance in as many fields as possible. They will also be placing workers into the rooms of the museum, hoping to position them to grab the most lucrative locations.
When scoring the fields, the first and second-place players have a choice of either taking one of the two tiles in the grouping, or placing a worker into the museum. Tiles sometimes reward victory points (2 – 5), and all except one depict a patron on the reverse. This isn’t a guess, as symbols are printed on the face of the tile revealing the identity of the patron on the reverse side. This is a vital consideration when placing workers onto the tiles, as players are usually attempting to collect particular patrons. You see, patrons grant special powers, and some will be worth more victory points depending upon the player’s situation in the museum. Again, more on this when I explain the museum.
The third-place player does not have the option of placing a worker into the museum. He may only take one of the two tiles, provided one is still available. Often, the two tiles have been selected by the first and second-place players, leaving the third-place player empty-handed. So, positioning oneself for a third-place finish in a grouping is risky.
The museum is a vital place of contention, as each room has a value of 2, 3 or 5, and each is associated with one or two patrons. Only one worker can occupy a room, and control of a room increases the value of each tile of the attached patron that the player possesses. The “3” and “5” value rooms are all associated with just one patron, while the “2” value rooms are associated with two different patrons. Since the inherent value of each tile is only 1 point, it is imperative that a player increases their value by grabbing control of high-valued rooms.
Once the fourth round is finished, the value of the patron tiles held by the players is determined. As mentioned, the base value of each tile is 1 point, but tiles can be worth considerably more based upon a player’s position in the museum. Further, for each series of five different patron tiles a player possesses, an additional five points are earned. Most points wins, with ties being broken in favor of the player who has the most worker cubes remaining in his person stock.
The game plays in less than an hour, and packs a lot of punch in that time frame. There are so many factors to consider, and important decisions must be made every step of the way. There is a constant struggle for control of the regions, and a simultaneous race to secure the most valuable positions in the museum. Choosing one’s reward – a tile or a museum placement – is usually quite agonizing, as the ramifications are often critical.
I tend to enjoy games that offer players an abundance of often conflicting decisions, wherein choosing one path means falling behind on another. This forces players to prioritize, and often requires players to perform a balancing act amongst several factors involved in pursuing one’s strategy and obtaining victory. Mykerinos is filled with these choices, but doesn’t overwhelm the mind. The setting is also appealing, although the subject matter – essentially grave-robbing and theft – is potentially controversial. However, it is just a game, and there are treasures, fame and riches to be found! Fortunately, the only curses one will receive are from players from whom you have just scooped a prized artifact!
Sadly, I fell into a familiar trap when explaining the game to Paul, Alison, Kevin and Rhonda. I failed to consult the rules, and instead relied on my memory. That is ALWAYS a bad decision, as I bungled several rules which greatly affected their game. While Kevin and Rhonda enjoyed it, Paul and Alison did not. I hope that realizing they played with some incorrect rules will be enough to entice them to give this treasure another try.
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