Kashgar: Merchants of the Silk Road

GaGarfieldstar2,0

Don't remember very well but I think it was nothing special. Gathering resources to buy VP-Cards... [c] Theme: ★☆☆☆☆ <!-- size 7]No theme at all --> Gameplay: ★★☆☆☆ <!-- size 7]Gather resources to buy VPs --> Interaction: ★☆☆☆☆ <!-- size 7]Almost none --> Artwork: ★★★☆☆ <!-- size 7]Ok --> Luck: ★★★☆☆ <!-- size 7]Random cards --> Strategy: ★★☆☆☆ <!-- size 7]Not much --> Components: ★★★☆☆ <!-- size 7]Nothing special --> Play duration: ★★★★★ <!-- size 7]Very good --> Easy to teach: <!-- size 7]Can't remember (13min) --> Rules quality: <!-- size 7]not read --> Setup time: <!-- size 7]Can't remember --> No downtime: ★★★★☆ <!-- size 7]Almost no downtime --> Replay value: ★★☆☆☆ <!-- size 7]Different cards --> [/c]

EvEvanstar4,6

This game is a race to see who can get to the winning point threshold first. Each player gets three face-up splays of cards. The topmost card in the splay gets you the ability to gain an additional card which then goes towards the back of the pile. Whenever you activate the top ability of a card, the card is either removed from the game if it was used for a red ability or it goes to the back of it's own line if it was neutral colored. In this way you build and manage your stacks to try and get points the most efficiently. Part of what you are doing is managing your sideboard charting your resource gains so you can complete recipe cards. The game comes with a set of take that cards you can optionally use. We chose not to, but not using them does reduce the player interaction to almost nothing. I don't mind this, particularly because the cards do have a lot of tiny text that's pretty impossible to read from across the table, so in my mind the less I have to directly care about what my opponents are doing is probably better. So ultimately, a great efficiency puzzle. Probably better with 2 than any other player count just to reduce downtime. Definitely need to sleeve this because how much the cards need to be slid around from front to back. I love the engine building with the card stacks, however I'd be happier if the game didn't have a high luck driven alternative strategy built in with the farmer card who draws the top 2 recipes and automatically fulfills one if it's a wheat field, but I guess I can forgive it too, because everything else it does it does so very right. ★ Art, Iconography and components functional ★ Clever or interesting mechanisms ★ Reasonably low downtime between turns with mildly AP players ★ Multiple plays stay interesting ☆ Low or mitigatable luck elements ★★☆☆☆ Raw enjoyment

MCMitchell Cstar5,9

Outstanding caravan building mechanism. Makes for some really interesting interactions and decisions. Please print in English!