Thebai

• Designer: David Turczi
• Publisher: Board&Dice
• Players: 1-4
• Age: 14+
• Time: 90-150 min
• Played with review copy provided by publisher

Dark times loom over the kingdom of Thebes. The blind, old king Oedipus left the throne in disgrace and asked Polynices and Eteocles, his own sons, to rule the city together. But power corrupts and ancient feuds call for new blood to be spilled. Soon, Polynices finds himself leading an army from the rival city of Argos against his own brother. The Theban nobles support Eteocles as he maintains precarious rule over Thebes. The young king calls for defenders to man the seven gates of the city, while the invaders’ seven champions lead the attack on the gates. Meanwhile, the famous citadel of Thebes, the Cadmea, lies in disarray. It is as if the Fates themselves have lined everything up against the current rulers of Thebes!  While the common folks prepare for war, the noble families whisper among themselves that the time for new leadership has come, and the time to rebuild the Cadmea is now!

In Thebai, players assume the role of influential leaders from noble families during the tumultuous late Bronze Age. Throughout the game, players are tasked with rebuilding the Cadmea, the citadel of Thebes, while restoring the city’s exports, praying to the gods of the city, and protecting the lives of the citizens as grand heroes spill each other’s blood outside the gates. The game lasts 10 rounds, each divided into an Action phase and a Fate phase. During the Action phase, players use one Citizen die, and then move their Archon on the Cadmea. During the Fate phase, players may get additional scoring opportunities, depending on their accomplishments and for protecting the city gates. After final scoring the player with the most Victory Points is the winner.

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Level 10

• Designer: Hisashi Hayashi
• Publisher: Grail Games
• Players: 1-5
• Ages: 14+
• Time: 15-30 minutes (box says 16-32)
• Times played: 4, with review copy provided by Matagot/Grail

In the co-operative card game Level 10 — which was first released as Okey Dokey — players work together to try to complete the challenge. In Okey Dokey, you are putting on a music festival with different performers and must play out all fifty cards in order to complete the performance.

In Level 10, you try to help Izzy play through all ten levels in each of five different video game worlds; each world is represented by a row of cards on the table. Players will play cards one by one to this 5×10 grid — 40 level cards and 10 reset cards — to (hopefully) complete the game. Players’ hands are kept secret from one another and only slight suggestions can be made.

If a player cannot play a card on their turn, the players (and Izzy) lose.

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Cities USA

• Designer: Phil Walker-Harding and Steve Finn
• Publisher: DEVIR
• Players: 1-4
• Age: 10+
• Time: 45 minutes
• Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4uTmiWZ
• Played with review copy provided by publisher

A great American city awaits your vision! Step into the shoes of an urban planner as you take on the challenge of transforming a bustling metropolis into a modern masterpiece. Raise gleaming skyscrapers, build bridges connecting roads and shape green spaces and water fronts to create a city that stands the test of time. Each decision matters; every building, every street, every neighborhood is a piece of your legacy. Gather the right materials,outplan your rivals, and claim your place as the architect of the future. Smart planning equals stunning results.  In this completely independent version of Cities you will find the essence of its predecessor but with new mechanics, such as skyscrapers, bridges and highways.

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