Hand Management

Louis XIV

Louis XIV, by Rüdiger Dorn, is about power and influence in the French court at the end of the 17th Century.

The players take on the roles of members of the Court, where they carry out their missions and goals at Versailles. By using cards and influence markers, they influence high-ranking Court attendants, such as the King's Mother or one of the countless Royal mistresses. Naturally, the Sun King himself has a special role here too.

An excellent time and a high level of tension are guaranteed. The final outcome is in doubt right up to the end. Each game is different. A change of pace but still a highly promising strategy game in the finest Alea tradition, one that sits at level 5 on the Alea complexity scale.

12 Thieves

In 12 Thieves, first published as The thief of Baghdad, each player leads a group of thieves and tries to gain the best booty for themselves, but the treasure is well-guarded in the palaces of Baghdad, so you must slip your thieves into the guard corps and attempt to bribe those you can't represent with one of your own.

The player who plays their cards best and reacts most cleverly to the different situations will succeed in getting their thieves and guards well distributed in Baghdad, and therefore be the first to collect four pieces of treasure.

Shipwrights of the North Sea

Shipwrights of the North Sea is set in the early years of the Viking Age, circa 900 AD. As Viking shipwrights, players compete to build the greatest fleet on the North Sea. Players must collect oak, wool and iron, as well as getting other craftsmen on board to help. Gold is a precious commodity, and must be spent wisely. As you would expect, the township is filled with an array of characters, bad and worse. Better hope they're on your side!

Aim of the Game

The aim of Shipwrights of the North Sea is to be the player with the most Victory Points at the game’s end. Points are gained by constructing various Ships and Buildings. The game ends after the round where 1 or more players constructs their 4th ship.

Gameplay Overview

The game is played over a series of days (rounds). Each day follows the same pattern:

Morning Phase - Planning (Each player receives 3 cards)
Afternoon Phase - Working (Players take actions and play or discard their 3 cards)
Evening Phase - Resting (Players receive Gold and Workers for the next day)

Printed Components

128 Cards - Featuring 46 unique and stunning illustrations
5 Beautifully Illustrated Player Boards
5 Player Reference Boards
1 Illustrated Rulebook
1 Pioneer Token
5 VP Markers

Wooden Components

5 Gold Ships
25 Oak
25 Wool
25 Iron
50 Workers

Flamme Rouge

The excitement in the air is electric as the leaders round the last corner and head for the finish line. Each team has used cunning and skill to position their sprinter for this moment, but only one has done enough to pull off the win!

Will your team lead from the front and risk exhaustion? Should you play it safe in the middle of the pack? Could you surprise everyone by striking from the back? Can you time your move perfectly?

Anyone can race, few become champions!

Flamme Rouge is a fast-paced, tactical bicycle racing game where each player controls a team of two riders: a Rouleur and a Sprinteur. The players’ goal is to be the first to cross the finish line with one of their riders. Players move their riders forward by drawing and playing cards from that riders specific deck, depleting it as they go. Use slipstreams to avoid exhaustion and position your team for a well timed sprint for the win.

Maccabees

This game is the first of a series of games which uses a dreidel in lieu of a d4. Like the traditional game Dreidel, it is themed for the Jewish holiday of Chanuka. Each move taken and cards added to or taken from a common pool for any spin are related to the traditional dreidel game. Movement can be modified by use of cards. That movement is round the six points of a star or magen David, and an action is associated with each space on the board.

The object of the game is to be the first player to fill the eight slots of a menorah with candles. Certain actions can gain a player one or more candles. One can even try to take candles from another player, but if the attempt fails, one may lose candles to the player targeted instead.