The “T” sequence of video games began in 2012 with the discharge of T’zolk’in: The Mayan Calendar. Since that point, designer Daniele Tascini and a number of other co-designers have launched into a recurring thematic tableau linked by the identical first letter. There was Teotihuacan: Metropolis of Gods in 2018. Then Trismegistus: The Final System in 2019. Then Tekhenu: Obelisk of the Solar in 2020. Exterior of the shared designer, one other widespread thread is using a colon and descriptor to evoke the modern central design ingredient.
Based mostly on the discharge timeline above, it was no shock to see a brand new “T” sequence emerge within the yr 2021. Tabannusi (which roughly interprets to “construct”) is adopted by the evocative descriptor Builders of Ur. So, Construct: Builders of Ur? Launched by writer Board & Cube, Tabannusi sees gamers navigating the traditional waterways, and in a depraved accident, duties them with constructing town of Ur.
Gameplay Overview:
The primary board options 5 areas distinguished by completely different coloured barges the place cube are rolled and positioned primarily based on participant rely. Three of those areas are districts associated to town of Ur and functionally work very equally, whereas the opposite two (the ziggurat and the port) are distinctive. Gamers have each an architect and an assistant meeple. On a flip, gamers select a single die from the barge of their present district, transfer their architect to the placement primarily based on the die worth, after which use their assistant to take two actions earlier than following to the brand new location.
A selected die is added to a participant’s useful resource pool and successfully loses its worth, changing into a useful resource of the die colour. Every district’s constructing protocol makes use of a distinct useful resource colour (white, yellow, brown) whereas inexperienced and blue cube, which can be found within the ziggurat and port barges respectively, relate to backyard and water tiles. Gamers additionally acquire gold, which acts as a wild useful resource, in addition to backyard and water tiles by way of completely different placement choices.
Within the three metropolis districts, gamers have the choice of including new undertaking tiles. Challenge tiles can be found in three colours (white, yellow, and brown) and might solely be added one by one to the board. Challenge tiles even have limitations primarily based on location and dimension (max of three), although there generally is a collaboration by a number of gamers. Gamers should even have declare markers so as to add to every undertaking tile they place to point possession. As declare markers are restricted to fifteen whole and every participant begins with 5, being aware of this stock is vital.
When one other participant visits a district the place a undertaking tile has been positioned, they now have the choice to assemble a constructing primarily based on the variety of undertaking tiles in a single colour. Every constructing requires the suitable sources, and as soon as constructed, any declare markers that had been current are eliminated. If a participant builds over their very own undertaking tile, they lose the declare marker to the overall provide, whereas different gamers’ declare markers return to their usable provide. Gamers can transfer up a mastery monitor primarily based on the colour of the undertaking tiles used, which will increase potential mid- and end-game scoring.
Gamers take turns shifting their architect and taking a die and two actions. If not including a undertaking tile or establishing a constructing, they will use the inexperienced/blue cube taken from the opposite areas so as to add water and backyard tiles to a district, successfully making an adjoining constructing extra helpful by increasing its dimension. Gardens with a participant’s declare marker additionally present extra motion on the mastery monitor for buildings. Bonus actions can be found that enable gamers to spend sources to flip used crate tiles (gained from the port) or rating decree playing cards which can be on show.
The ziggurat and port areas are distinctive as they supply particular scoring alternatives. With the ziggurat, gamers can add their homes to particular areas to spice up scoring primarily based on the tiles current, whereas within the port gamers are capable of spend sources and/or gold so as to add homes and/or declare ships. Ships present highly effective particular skills to boost actions and scoring.
As soon as all cube are chosen from the barge, a scoring part is triggered for the related district. After this scoring, all cube of that colour are returned to the central provide and rerolled earlier than being readded to the barge. Any participant who has a die of the particular colour of their provide loses it and beneficial properties both a bump on a mastery monitor or a backyard/water tile as compensation.
After 5 rounds are full, all districts rating a remaining time earlier than finish recreation scoring. The space on every mastery monitor advantages gamers immensely within the remaining scoring. Gamers additionally assess a hidden goal known as the city card which they rating in the event that they had been capable of meet the situations listed on it.
Recreation Expertise:
Let’s face it, the central mechanic current in Tabannusi isn’t as participating in a tactile approach because the gears, pyramids, or obelisk in earlier “T” sequence video games. Certain, there are plastic constructing bases to erect and a double-sided fundamental board with a gorgeous water show, however the preliminary hook isn’t as fast. Whereas it lacks this visible design cohesion, there’s a lot to be stated concerning the easy motion choice mechanism that the 5 districts and two employee meeples current.
Every flip finds gamers weighing a number of doable routes, considering a number of turns forward, to be extra environment friendly than opponents. Every barge’s choices dwindle over time and sources are consistently shifting into infrastructure or scoring potential, thus offering a relentless have to adapt to others. As such, this can be a recreation that performs higher with three or 4 on the desk, to permit for undertaking tiles to be constructed by opponents to boost mastery monitor choices.
The sport’s tempo can also be fairly misleading. Upon entry, and primarily based on earlier video games within the sequence, there’s an inclination to suppose this may overstay its welcome. Fortunately, Tabannusi simmers within the first spherical or two and ramps into a really swift finish recreation in any respect participant counts. The framework constructed across the cube removing from barges is great and pushes gamers to all the time maintain their targets in thoughts. Attempting to unfold into a number of areas of the board could show too punishing towards seasoned Ur veterans.
One other nice facet is the shared undertaking tile system. Having the chance to leap right into a undertaking with an opponent can present nice advantages. Additionally, with the ability to select when and the place to construct primarily based on this creates a variety of pressure, particularly because it’s cheaper to construct an opponent’s undertaking. As such, that is another excuse why the sport performs higher at three and 4. At two gamers, there isn’t as a lot pressure across the constructing selections and the system breaks down a bit. There could have been extra that wanted to be adjusted with participant scaling to assist with this.
Whereas the motion system, in addition to the obtainable actions, are easy when you’ve taken the time to essentially be taught them, the sport of Tabannusi’s preliminary buy-in will be very tough because the ruleset shouldn’t be as intuitive because it may’ve been. The system has one too many layers in a number of areas and with every new caveat comes a disconnect from a really shallow theme. Gamers should maintain monitor of which die to take, then which decree playing cards to pursue, then which districts to construct in, then which ship tiles to assert to spice up their actions, and on and on. Based mostly on the comparatively swift recreation time (for this sequence), it looks like just a few too many choices had been jammed in.
Probably the greatest examples of that is the fifth district, the ziggurat. This motion offers a pathway to factors and offers some route however stepping away from the constructing and port areas for small level bonuses and no actual connection to the theme looks like a misstep, even when a fifth district was wanted to make the cube motion choice system work. I’ve walked away from every recreation wishing I didn’t have to contemplate this space, or that it was built-in into the system in a extra satisfying approach.
One other instance of bloat is the decree choices (I a lot want the hidden goal city playing cards) as they really feel like simply one other doable route that the ziggurat was already attempting to offer. They do present a lot bigger end-game targets, however they distract from the central theme. I additionally surprise if the port district may’ve used extra consideration to make the scoring really feel extra impactful, as gamers solely rating a small quantity on this space. I’m certain this was to offset the highly effective particular skills gained right here, however once more satisfaction of reaping some rewards from funding is minimized.
Last Ideas:
A reliable effort from a seasoned designer that treads acquainted paths. There’s quite a bit to get pleasure from in Tabannusi: Builders of Ur. And for many who admire heavier technique with tactical and spatial parts, this can be an entry that rewards repeated performs. Exterior of the motion choice and timing framework, a variety of the familiarity right here doesn’t encourage a step ahead for the sequence.
Tabannusi: Builders of Ur is greater than competent, however the guidelines overhead and a continuous shrug at sure areas makes me suppose this gained’t see the desk as usually as a few of its sequence brethren. I do hope that the motion system finds its approach into a distinct (and extra immersive) theme sooner or later although. Perhaps a “T” sequence recreation that reaches past the scope of historical past to offer us with one thing extra bold, however on the similar time streamlined, a future masterwork of design that the builders of the nice metropolis of Ur could be proud to witness.
Last Rating: 3 stars – We constructed this metropolis however ultimately had been confronted with extra rock than roll.
Hits:
• Motion choice system
• Constructing selections
• Tempo ramps properly
• Fixed adaptation
Misses:
• Convoluted ruleset
• Ziggurat motion/scoring
• Bloated additions
• Uninspired elements
