Villages (The Game Crafter)

Designer	Jaron Frost
Publisher	The Game Crafter, LLC
Players	2-6
Playing Time	30 mins
Suggested Age	8 and up
Additional Info	114684/villages http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/114684/villages/forums/63

(Description from thegamecrafter.com)

A new land has been discovered. As a mighty king, you have a grand opportunity to expand your empire by building new villages here. Unfortunately, many of your fellow rulers also hope to stake their claim in this new world. Whose villages will stand, and whose will fall?

Each card has a gold value, and your goal is to earn 100 gold pieces across multiple rounds by building villages. Do this by collecting three unit cards of the same color and laying them down. If an enemy puts down a card you'd like to have, it's time for battle! Send out your village's finest hero or hire one in secret by playing it face-down from your hand, and your opponent will do the same. Play the stronger card, and you'll be able to take a prisoner from your enemy's village and make it part of your own.

However, it's not enough to simply send your most powerful units to attack neighboring kingdoms. Each unit has its own winning strategies: knights excel at defense, the wizard's power falters only when facing enemies of the same color, the dragon's strength increases with each enemy he defeats, and heroes become much stronger when you're in last place. These are only a few of the 15 different unit types you'll command. With the right combination of luck and skill, you'll always come out on top.

War is one way to expand your empire, but it is certainly not the only way. Perhaps you'd like to avoid conflict altogether. Take on the role of a benevolent king who gives freely to other players, and you'll win bonus gold for being the first to empty their hand and end the round. However you choose to play, there are strategic choices to be made. How will you rule?