Cut the tree down, build the house – review of the board game “Little Town”

Any self-respecting fan of board games will certainly know Portal Games well. It has such titles as, for example,   51st state , Aeon’s End , Neuroshima HEX , or The Settlers: Rise of an Empire . This time he comes to us with a new strategy game in a minimalist edition. Meet Little Town !

What’s inside? 

The first thing I have to pay attention to is the relatively small box, which is a big plus. Probably many people struggle with the constant lack of space on the shelves, and it should not be a problem to include this item among your collection.

Inside we find:

• two-sided board (each side has a different layout, which makes this title more replayable);
• 18 goal cards that we will have to fulfill;
• 60 resource cubes (including four types – stone, wood, fish, and grain)
• 52 player markers (divided into four colors);
• one round marker and one each for the first player;
• 24 coin tokens;
• 29 tiles containing buildings
• 4 “60” tokens to help you count points;
• instructions;
• help card.

All elements are made very carefully. The board, tiles and coins are made of rough cardboard, the colors are intense, the graphics are nice, the whole thing pleases the eye. The cubes, as well as all markers, are wooden and made to a high standard.

From the beginning

The very preparation of the board for the game takes a moment, which means that we can start the first game after a while. In addition, everything is clearly written in the manual, so even people who are not fond of reading it will have no problem.

W trakcie swojej tury możemy wybrać jedną akcję do wykonania. W zależności od potrzeb są to zbiory dostępnych surowców i skorzystanie z budynku, bądź jego budowa Pierwszą akcję umożliwia nam robotnik, którego stawiamy na planszy i wówczas możemy skorzystać z wszystkich dóbr rozmieszczonych w zasięgu ośmiu sąsiadujących pól. Kiedy zbierzemy wystarczającą liczbę surowców, możemy przejść do budowy, ale koniecznie trzeba pamiętać, że na koniec tury każdego robotnika wypada nakarmić.

Wszystkie budynki dają nam jakieś bonusy, między innymi możemy w ramach ich wykorzystania (raz na rundę) wymienić dwa surowce na dwa inne, otrzymać jakiś zasób, monety lub punkty zwycięstwa.

Another element is the Objective Cards, received before the game begins. These are missions that we can accomplish, but we don’t have to. Of course, meeting them increases our number of points, so it pays off to do them.

The game is won by the person who managed to score the most points (building buildings, using their special functions, completing missions).

Summary

Getting to know the rules and preparing the game is very quick and easy. The game will find its supporters among people who are just starting their adventure with board games, it will also be a good position for families with children, or even as a light break between heavier titles.

The visual side is very pleasing to the eye, all elements are made at a good level, and the gameplay takes no more than 45 minutes.