Crusaders: Thy Will Be Done

EvEvanstar5,9

This is on the shorter end yet still managed to be a decently meaty euro game. Even with four players the whole game takes about an hour with rules. Essentially, each player has a little mancala wheel. You take an action with strength equal to the markers currently in the space, then distribute the markers one at a time around the wheel going clockwise from the space you selected. As you play you build things onto the board which uncovers bonus symbols that increase the strength of future actions. The interesting part of the game is you can choose to upgrade your wheel by spending an action to unlock a second action for that same spoke. From that point on you can split your action markers between both effects in a single turn. Very satisfying with a few different paths to follow. ★ 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