Rate the Fun: Thurn and Taxis
"Because who doesn't want to play a game based on the founding of the German postal system?"Thurn and Taxis is inspired by the founding of the German postal system in 17th century. It may be a strange concept for a game but it is my absolute favourite board game. I am not the only one who enjoys the game, it won the prestigious Spiel des Jahres in 2006 (same award Settlers won in 1995). The English vision is produced by Rio Grande Games.
It is a "train game" or has route building style like Ticket to Ride or Elfenland. I really enjoy the mechanics of the game play from the use of offices to the thrill of a well planned routes to laying down as many post offices as possible.
From the back of the box:"In 1490, Kaiser Maximilian I awarded Franz von Taxis the contract to deliver mail between the Kaiser's residences in Innsbruck and Brussles.Visit Board Game Geeks for more about Thurn and Taxis and for more game reviews visit the orignial Rate the Fun post.
He did such a good job, that postal services in the country continue to be connected with the name Thurn and Taxis. With the introduction of postal carriages in the middle of the 17th century, members of the family were raised to Count status and given the hereditary title of Postmaster General. The game begins at this point in history.
Can you emulate the achievements of this family and build a successful postal network? Do you have the talent to connect the right cities to create an effective network and not lose sight of the need to acquire new carriages when they are needed? Plan your moves carefullly and watch your opponents' moves carefully, so you are prepared to respond to them.
The game takes you back in time and gives you challenges that will bring you back to the game over and over."
The Scores:
Thurn and Taxis = 8.9
The Rate the Fun Scale:
10 = Outstandingly Awesome Game; Always want to play it and I expect this will never change.
9 = Excellent Game; Always want to play it.
8 = Very good game; I like to play. Probably I'll suggest it and I'll never turn down a game.
7 = Good game; Usually willing to play.
6 = Okay game; There is some element of fun or challenge; will play sporadically if in the right mood.
5 = Fair game; Slightly boring, take it or leave it.
4 =Not so good; It doesn't get me but I could be talked into it on ccasion.
3 = Bad; Likely won't play this again but could be convinced.
2 = Extremely annoying game; Won't play this ever again.
1 = Clearly broken; You won't catch me dead playing this.
Comments
I’ve been a board game geek for almost two and a half years. There are weeks were I’ll visit friends three or four nights in a week and all we do is play games. We might set up a game and play three games in a row (this is especially easy for a fast paced game like Dominion) I’ve also taught most of these game to different groups. Sharing a game with others increases my love for the game.
Upcoming reviews (not necessarily in this order): Elfenland, Stone Age, Agricola, Citadels, To Court the King, Ticket to Ride, San Juan, Bohnanza, and a few others. I really loved Race for the Galaxy and would like to review it but I’ve only played it once and the friends that owned it moved away.
So, Glo (and anyone else whose read the comments) is there a game from the upcoming review list that interests you or that you’d like me to review next?