The blue bear often has a good nose for board games. And even with the title “The Council of Four” by Cranio Creations, the fine bear nose cannot be fooled and purposefully points to an insider tip. This board game for 2 to 4 friends aged 10 and over is not for the faint-hearted, as everything revolves around wealth, power and playing off the competition. Correct: The Council of Four is a classic board game in the everyone-versus-everyone category.
Mighty Mighty Meeples!
With game rounds of up to 80 minutes in length, the board game “The Council of Four” entertains 2 to 4 power-hungry players for about as long as a good feature film and is wonderfully suited for equally exciting repetitions.
The game idea was penned by Simone Luciani and originally came from the Italian game publisher Cranio Creations. Thanks to the hard work of the Heidelberger Spieleverlag, the title is now finding its way onto German retail shelves. The age limit is set low at 10 years for a game with these strategic dimensions - I would recommend “The Council of Four” for players 14 years and over. From this age on, children can simply deal better with power and wealth.
The game concept is reminiscent of the board game “In the footsteps of Marco Polo”, which Simone Luciani also designed. Similarities are therefore not purely coincidental!
“The Council of Four” is all about the members of six influential families who direct the fortunes of the kingdom from their positions in the four councils. The players slip into the roles of traders who strive to increase their prosperity (Oh wonder!). The action takes place on a modular game board, which provides variety with a variety of combinations.
A total of 10 buildings have to be placed on the central part of the game board and unfold very different bonuses, ranging from additional workers to amounts of money to important victory points. A strategic approach is therefore required in order to bag the greatest bonuses and always be a barrow length ahead of the competition. As in real life, however, building must not simply be carried out; permits are required, which are issued by the councils. Each council has to be convinced by matching colored cards or a hefty sum of money. But watch out: the mighty emperor is able to forbid construction projects! This brings additional tension and tactics into play and makes “The Council of Four” a full-length entertainment title. The individual members of the council are represented by wooden meeples (there is no board game without meeples!), so that the composition of the positions of power is clearly recognizable. With the receipt of a building card, further action options open up for the successful player, which can be combined into multi-level action series.
“The Council of Four” is demanding, but does not quite reach the complexity of its ideal predecessor “In the footsteps of Marco Polo”. Nevertheless, “The Council of Four” is a wonderful, exciting and tactically demanding board game that knows how to entertain beginners and veterans alike. The interesting game concept and the pretty look of the game material make this board game from the Heidelberger Spieleverlag more than an insider tip.
Trading strategists and board players who like building chains of action will love The Council of Four. Everyone else risk at least a second look and let themselves be taken by the exciting game concept.
