Description
The kingdom is looking for a new master builder, and you are one of the candidates. In Spletke (originally Citadels) you build your medieval city with gold and cards, and each round a different character helps you. One can knock an opponent out of the round, another can steal their gold, a third can tear down one of their districts. But you can't be sure who around the table holds which one.
How to play Spletke
Each round has two parts. First you pass around the deck of character cards and everyone secretly keeps one. Then the player with the crown calls the characters in order from 1 to 8. When your character is called, you reveal it and either take two gold or draw two district cards and keep one. Then you may build one district by paying its cost, and use your character's ability.
When someone builds their seventh district, the game ends at the end of that round. You score points for the cost of your built districts, for having all five district types in your city and for a completed city. The player with the most points wins.
Why you will love it
- Choosing a character is a new puzzle every round: do you take the one that helps you most, or the one an opponent would otherwise get?
- When you rob someone or knock them out of the round, you don't pick a player, you pick a character. Then all you can do is hope you guessed right about who has it.
- Unique districts have their own effects, from extra points at the end to new ways of collecting gold, so every city is a little different.
- The box holds 27 characters, 30 unique districts and ready-made scenarios, so every game can play out differently.
Who is Spletke for
Spletke is for 2 to 8 players aged 10 and up, and a game takes 30 to 60 minutes. The rules are moderately easy, and for your first game the rulebook suggests a basic set of eight characters. With two or three players, everyone plays two characters and a city is complete at eight districts. Players like it best with five.
What you might not like
Characters can cancel your turn, take your gold or tear down a district, so the game may not suit those who prefer calm games without any mischief.
What's in the box
- 27 character cards
- 84 district cards
- 27 character reminder cards
- 5 ability marker cards
- 8 rules summary cards
- 22 plastic gold coins
- 1 plastic crown
- rulebook
