Mark's #28: Anno 1503

Not everybody has the love for Klaus Teuber: Settlers is dismisssed in some circles (because, of course, it's "cool" to pick on what's popular), Entdecker was "too fluffy" (think that was problem for me?!), and Anno 1503 was "multiplayer solitaire." Sigh.

We'll deal with the other two accusations further down the list, but for right now, let's clear up a major misconception about Anno 1503. It is NOT solitaire... it's a race. Those players who forget that they're in a race to the finish, whether by the obvious exploration method or the less obvious economic method, will lose.

In fact, Anno reminds me of Starship Catan turned into a multi-player game. You have the same cash & commodity manipulations, the same ramping up your individual board to speed up your game, the same nail-biting race to the finish. (Like I said much earlier, Starship Catan didn't make the 100 so there would be room for Settlers Card Game AND Anno 1503.)

Ignore the grousing about this one and give it a try. Once you've got a game under your belt, it's 15 minutes per player for a jam-packed gaming experience.