| Introduction |
Want to take over the world, but only have eight-minutes*? Eight-Minute Empire (8ME) is the perfect game for those power-hungry individuals short on time.
| Overview |
8ME is a delightfully light, yet deceptive area control game by Ryan Laukat, produced by Red Raven Games (http://bit.ly/ZKSE6r). A Kickstarter alumni, 8ME is short and sweet, with its claim it can be played in around eight minutes*.
| Components |
Keeping with the high standards of Euro Games, 8ME has nice wooden pieces. It also features high quality cards, coins and good tokens. The artwork also varies from the vibrant wild cards, to the duller good/ action cards and boards. The art work is good and does fit the theme, though. 8ME features two double-sided game boards (four boards total), including the Kickstarter backer Europe board expansion. Each board features continents, each with regions ripe for conquering. Additionally, there is a key at the top of each board with six cards and their associated cost.
| Rules |
| Setup |
Setup is super easy. Pick a board. Prepare the cards by removing any, if required, and then shuffle and lay out them out. Players claim their preferred colored armies and cities, as well as the prescribed number of coins per the rules.
| Play |
Players bid for First (Start) Player. Youngest player wins in ties. Then place three of each players' armies start in the same Start Region. No one starts with a city.
One at a time, starting with the First Player, players take a card either for free or pay the cost based on the card's position. First card is free; Second and Third cards each cost one coin; Fourth and Fifth cards each cost two coins; and, the Sixth card costs three coins.
Cards give players both actions and goods. Actions allow players to place new armies; move armies over land or sea; build a city (allowing a new entry point for armies); and, destroy armies. Players may choose to ignore their card's action(s), if they wish. Sets of goods are worth victory points at the end of the game.
Once a card is bought the remaining cards shift down position to make room for new cards.
|Game End|
Based on the number of players, the game ends anywhere from thirteen rounds for two players to seven rounds for five players.
| Scoring |
The following are ways to score points at the end of the game. As usual, the player with the most points wins. Several tie breakers are included in the rules to help alleviate sharedvictories.
Regions. Players score one point per region they control with the most armies. (Cities count as one army for scoring purposes). If players have the same number of armies in a region, then no one scores points.
Continents. Players score one point per continent in which they control the most regions. If players control the same number regions in a continent, then no one scores points.
Goods. Players score victory points based on sets of goods. Cards outline how many victory points a set is worth. Wild cards can be assigned to any good a player already owns.
| Variants Included |
8ME includes three variants: full (extended) game; goods available to player who controls certain regions; and, alternative bidding tie breaker. I have yet to play with any of these variants.
| Review |
First off, the question everyone asks is can this game really be played in 8 minutes*?!
*Real time for at least my first plays were was eight to twenty minutes, but you get the idea. I think in my first plays everyone playing tried to over think the game too much. Plus it took some extra time to learn how to play (about fifteen minutes). The rules are only four half pages, but are clearly written.
One concept that puzzles me is the bidding for First Player. Since there is no way to get more money during the game, bidding too much for First Player is too limiting during the game.
Strategically, there is more than meets the eye going on in 8ME. The game is short, which means you need to manage your time (rounds level) and balance that with your army movement/ area control, and your good set collection. While there is an element of luck either the cards, undesirable cards become cheaper and more desirable if not used.
I found myself focusing on more on area control than on goods. One specific stragety that worked well was getting a city early and vacating the Start Region. Getting a city early allows armies to enter the board from a point other than the Start Region. Vacating the Start Region means you can conquer more region, since you aren't focusing your time on gaining control of the start region. While I did focus more on area control, if multiple cards with the same action were available, I would always pick the one with good I already had started collecting. I never really had a money managent issue, but my sister and/ or my boyfriend - can't remember who - at one point did.
There also seems to be an advantage to going last, especially since the order of the players each round does not change. Going last, rather than first, allows a player to react to moves rather than to take actions that later will be mitigated.
Coins. Perhaps there should be an action card that gets you more money, but isn't a wild or a goods card. A tax card could be added too, though I'm not sure if that would work as well. Would it be from one player, or from all?
Cities. Cities could count as 3 armies, rather than one at the beginning of the game, with the stipulation that one real army must always occupy a region with a city in order to get thisbonus. That way it's more like the cities have defenses, rather than automatically comes with 'free' armies.
| 8ME: Legends Kickstarter |
Eight-Minute Empire: Legends (8ME: L) is currently on Kickstarter (ten days left!) as the stand alone sequel to 8ME. According to its page, there are new boards; new cards with special abilities; and, new variants. It is also is probably the only way to get a copy of 8ME & 8ME: L at this point.
| Thank You |
A special thanks to my Uncle Eric, who bought me my copy of Eight-Minute Empire.
| Administrative |
I was not paid to write a favorable review, nor did I receive a free game in exchange for a favorable review. I was also not paid to endorse the current Kickstarter campaign. If you would like me to review your game, please contact me at ladyofcarcassonne@gmail.com. I will either accept a loaner copy that I must return, or a free game with the stipulation that giving me a free game does not mean I will give you a favorable review.
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