The contents of the box
The box includes two packages: basic and additional, and elements of the single-player mode. These are primarily: the Itinerant Settler cards (94), the Basic Settler cards (Lumberjacks, Miners, and Reapers – 30), Event cards (23), Founder cards (5), Starting Migrant Settler cards (6). In addition, players can use coins (gold, silver, coppers), markers (for the first player and Improvements) and tiles (Marketplace, dividers). The rules of the game change depending on how many people play the game. Details will be discussed later in the review.
Preparation for the game
Anyone who plays Włościanfor the first time, remember that order in cards is key. If we initially separate them properly (and manage to keep order in the box), we will easily arrange both our own and the common area on the table. The first cards are the Initial Wandering Settlers that we place on the Path. Place three piles of face-up Scythe, Lumberjack and Miner cards nearby. Each player receives a Founder card (it symbolizes the beginning of a new settlement), a Market tile, eight gold coins and – depending on who starts the game – the first player token (a rooster figure). If there are two or three willing, we must remove the cards marked with the 4+ symbol (Wool, Leather). The remaining amount is made up of six face-down piles (their number is equal to twice the number of players), which are placed on the Road above the Starting Migrant Settlers. Place the card of the first Marketplace under the second, and the card of the second Marketplace under the sixth. Each person gets five cards from the remaining pool, the rest are put on the pile, face down – they are a reserve.
Draw Phase and Build Phase, then win!
The game is played over a series of rounds. The game is over when all cards in the hidden piles of settlers on the Road are exhausted. The rounds are divided into two phases: the draw phase (drawing settlers from the Road) and the construction phase (playing settlers from your hand to your settlement). In the first phase, players draw at least two settlers (more if they have the Food symbol on the table) according to the draw limit. At the end of the game, empty slots are refilled with cards from the reserve. Before that, you can reserve a revealed settler card by placing a coin on it. During the construction phase, you can place up to two settlers in the Settlement (more if you have the Builder symbol), according to the construction limit. In this part of the game, the so-called Production Chains. Settlers cards may show symbols of the domains they belong to (Carpenter – wood, Pigherd – hay), the size of the stack (how many settler cards can be placed on the card), the text of the production chain (Founders – Swineherd – Truffle, Miner – Locksmith, Reaper – Breeder – Milkmaid – Cheese Machine), Gilded symbol and others (occurring selectively). Completing the production cards that make up its chain gives the player huge profits – it allows you to earn a lot of gold and brings you closer to winning. In addition, during the construction phase, it is possible to hire Basic Settlers: we return any settler card from your hand and choose a Basic Settler. The key thing is that they do not count towards the construction limit or the maximum number of settlers (5) that can be placed in one turn. Selected cards have padlocks that must be unlocked (by paying for them) in order for the card to become active. This will enable us to use it. Special Settlers are also available (they have enormous powers!). The player earns money mainly during two Marketplaces (the game ends after the last one). The person with the most Gold in their resources wins.
Alternatively
The creators of the game also took care of those players who have no one to compete with. In single player mode, we can play the game alone! As we read in the introduction, the rich Countess wants to regain the lost glory and the ancestral crown. She wants the settlers not to become independent, so she bribes them. This game also has a draw phase and a market phase, but there is an event phase instead of a build phase. There are two modes: Novice Mode and Veteran Mode. The DLC pack, on the other hand, features new alternate heroes called Włościan: Rogues (Barbarians, Combinators, Couriers, Loafers, Sheriffs, Noblemen, Thieves), Saints (Pigeons, Patrons, Beepers, Prophets), Speculators (Furmani, Captains, Mercenaries, Nuns) and interesting mechanics: Cops, which work like Silver symbols and Improvement cards. The add-on introduces an improvement phase within another phase – the construction phase. Additionally, in order to select the first player, the game developers propose a game (similar to Peter ) with the use of Mini Peasants cards . The person with the Capricious Countess in their hand at the end of the game wins and gets the rooster symbol!
Subjectively
I am very impressed with how many items are in the box. The greatest fun is initially getting to know the mechanics of the game. The manual is almost twenty pages long and introduces us to the world of Włościan very effectively. Fortunately, graphics and examples (thank you to the creator Haakon Gaarder!) Help us understand the various stages, crucial for free play in a larger group. Potential players may also be interested in the fact that it is impossible to predict who will be the winner until the very end. The number of cards that the participants of the game have to put on the table is often huge and requires full concentration. Counting Goldfish is really addictive. Peasantcan be recommended to anyone who likes to think to achieve success. It is not a light and fun game for people of all ages. The creators suggest 10 years of age as the lower limit, although it seems to me that it is too early. Mechanics of the so-called Draft and building the table with cards is addictive, but requires the player full concentration for thirty – sixty minutes. Regardless of whether you take on a single-player, multiplayer, with or without accessories, I guarantee you great fun. Thank you iuvi games!
