Detailed game flow of machi koro. Board game Machi Koro

Fans of the original and unusual always stop their eyes on the classic Japanese board games. You have all heard about them and you will perfectly understand what is at stake as soon as such words as Go (a game based on traditional checkers), Manjong (the famous solitaire game), Karuto (a list of poems written by a Japanese poet), Shogu (a prototype of a chess game) are spoken nearby. games), Sudoku and more. Fans of Eastern culture know all the subtleties of the rules of these masterpieces. And you have at least heard mention of them. And you know, these games are still popular. The Land of the Rising Sun introduced us to a huge number of interesting games, developing thinking and increasing the logical level, training memory and perseverance, allowing you to play both two players and a large company. And let the rules are not always clear the first time. But having figured it out, it will be difficult to stop you ... But progress does not stand still. Board games in Japan continue to evolve. And if the cardboard box, which I now want to talk about, does not claim to be a brilliant logical masterpiece, then it at least reminds us that the culture of Japan is extremely attractive. And Japanese board game designers are still trying to win the eyes of Europeans. Meet Machi Koro...

Brief characteristics

• Type: Card city building
• Publisher: Hobby World
• Difficulty of rules: Simple
• Game time: 30 to 45 minutes
• Number of players: 2 to 5 players
• Age of players: from 7 years old
• Language: localized into Russian

Purpose of the game in a nutshell

“You have to become the mayor of a small town, which can become the most prosperous in the district. Build cafes and shops, establish production and increase revenues to the city budget. But remember that rival mayors are not asleep - they also dream of building the best city on earth. You are in for a serious race, and the one who will be the first to decorate their streets with sights will win.

In fact, the rules are quite simple and not loaded. Essentially, you need to earn a certain amount of coins by triggering the effects of the laid out cards so that you can allow four points of interest to line up in front of you. The player who gets rich first and flips these cards over is the winner.

Game mechanics

By tradition, we will analyze the game by the type of mechanics used.

• Card Drafting - games in which a player draws cards from a certain common pool (usually from several decks) in order to receive an immediate game benefit or place them in his hand or another of his personal zones. Games in which cards are simply drawn from a common deck are not card selection games. In this case, players are offered the opportunity to draw cards to their playing area due to the rolled value of the game die.
• Dice Rolling - games in which the next action of the player directly depends on the rolled value of the game die.

And now, speaking plain language. Each player has a personal play area in front of him, in which there are four landmark cards (and also in which he will develop his city by building various enterprises). Recall that the goal of the game is to flip these cards (that is, to build landmark buildings) for a certain amount of money. The only question remains - how to make money?

In front of the players there is another special common area with reserve cards. These are building-enterprise cards that give a certain effect when they are activated (including income!). It is possible to activate or build a card solely based on the results of the game die roll. So what does the gameplay look like?

The player's turn consists of two phases.

1. income phase.

The active player rolls a die (one or two, according to the game rules). According to the results of the roll, all players can receive income. The rules for earning income are described in detail on each game card (all cards are divided into color categories that show in which turn the player makes a profit, and also due to what - the total bank or the bank of one of the players).

1. Construction phase.

In this phase, the active player performs one of three actions - building another enterprise (to make a profit), building a landmark (to get closer to victory), or not building (which is more of a necessary measure).

The first player to build four Landmark cards is the winner, earning the title of the city's best mayor!

On this, all the intricacies of the game rules end, not counting the features game cards(You can learn more about this in the game rules).

My opinion about the game

To be honest, my impressions are quite controversial and chaotic. Before the very first acquaintance with the game, I read several opinions, reviews, looked at a specialized forum and glanced at the rules. Someone praised the game, someone vice versa, but all as one reduced the conversation to the fact that the game in its mechanics resembles the famous "Colonialists". Apparently that's what got me.

This time I will not single out the pros and cons of the game separately, but I will try to objectively approach the overall assessment point by point. So.

Decor. Probably stupid to attribute this position to the shortcomings. The box design is attractive, but here's what's waiting inside... No organizer to store components, thin playing cards, large "deposits" of unused space. Everything is quite standard and ordinary. But it still leaves a bad aftertaste.

Mechanics. For me personally, games based solely on dice rolls fall into the one-shot category. Too high a percentage of the gameplay belongs to chance. What can not be said about the "Colonialists". This is where the question arose - why did "Machi Koro" not arouse such interest, with fairly similar mechanics? Perhaps this is due to the theme and the complete lack of a gaming atmosphere. Yes, this is a European style game and you shouldn't have expected much from it. But she didn't really catch on. In addition, the question of interaction arises. The basic rules do not allow players to influence each other. Two red cards meant to change that don't help at all. Therefore, the lack of dialogue, conflict between players, the lack of the ability to influence the course of the game make it too simple for refined taste and lovers of various kinds of confrontations (in turn, in "Colonialists" you can at least bargain with an opponent).

Dynamics and downtime(waiting for own move). Officially stated from 30 minutes. In fact, the game goes much faster if all players are familiar with the maps and general mechanics. The whole game is reduced to throwing dice and laying out the next card on the playing field. Therefore, you will not see much depth, but at the same time, you will practically not have to wait for your move. You will not have time to roll the die, as you immediately need to receive income for the roll of the opponent's die. You are constantly involved in the game. This is an undeniable advantage.

Informative workload of components. It seemed to me that it was extremely necessary to replace all the text on the existing cards with a set of universal characters. Yes, the gameplay is quite fleeting, but it certainly slows down the reading of the cards. What is this for? It was not very clear to me.

Rules. The barrier to entry into the game is very low. This means that it will take you about ten minutes to figure out the complexities of the rules. Everything is written in clear and accessible language. No problems or complaints.

Availability of extensions. The base version includes the Machi Koro: Harbor Expansion add-on. Still, the basic version is only for reference. The mechanics get boring too quickly and the game becomes boring. But with additional cards ... It becomes an order of magnitude more interesting. Particularly pleased with the presence of a new mode - namely, the creation of a reserve deck in a random way. Now, not every value of the game die will be useful. Try to adapt to new conditions. Simple strategies are unlikely to work.

Strategy and tactics. Unfortunately, the game is not rich in tactical solutions. The basis is still the theory of the probability of falling out of one or another number. But don't despair. In any case, you have to think. Interesting strategies for combining the properties of several types of maps (such as "Forest" and "Furniture Factory"); construction of the "Station" at the very beginning of the game, to minimize the opponent's income after your throws; purchase of enterprises of all price categories to obtain a minimum guaranteed income; using aggressive tactics by building red buildings and so on. Let the choice is not great and makes the game quite predictable. The main thing is that the gameplay is intuitive for everyone. Throw a die, get income, build a building, watch your opponents roll.

Price. The game captivates with its accessibility. The cost does not exceed 800 rubles. Decent choice for its price range. And don't forget that you're paying not only for a few pieces of cardboard, but for original idea. Therefore, do not grumble non-sellers. They are working hard for you.

Summarizing all of the above. Not bad, I would even say, a very decent option for family gatherings. Excellent conflict-free card game, which will allow you to pass a couple of hours. No deep thinking and heavy fighting. Simple and tasteful. Ideal as a game to "warm up" before a more serious and difficult strategy, or as an option for an easy and fun pastime.

Impressions and emotions from the game

The game was tried by several teams. The first acquaintance took place in the form of a duel. Nothing extraordinary was expected. Here we got nothing. Three games were played. We discovered two game tactics: an aggressive game with the construction of red buildings and an attempt to "destroy" the opponent's bank and the construction of "connected" cards ("Forest and "Furniture Factory", "Farm" and "Cheese Factory"). As a result, the first tactic was rejected, since the player can constantly keep his bank empty. And you won't make a lot of money doing it. But I really liked the construction of "multiplying" actions. Buying raw materials, and then special enterprises, leads to the expectation of a die roll with a certain value. Threw away - earned a large amount that can be instantly spent on the construction of attractions. In general, all three games ended like that. A lucky roll and the game is over. Which confirmed some concerns about the randomness of the gameplay.

A few days later, the game was tested in a different composition. Three players, two of which are just crazy about the "Colonialists". A good advertisement for Machi Koro did its job, but didn't quite live up to expectations.

New tactics have now been discovered. In one of which you initially show interest in the “Station” and buildings for rolling two dice (to minimize the opponent’s income), and the second is an attempt to play with only one die. Both tactics paid off, but still the game was reduced to the construction of "connected" cards. There was nothing to be done about it.

Also, the value of red cards at the very beginning of the game, when coins are extremely important, and then the possibility of building all types of enterprises, in order to obtain a minimum but guaranteed income, were discovered. It cannot be said that it somehow changed the course of the game. We tried. Some liked it, some didn't.

The main thing is that all the playing time each player was fully involved in the gameplay. Constant income, dice rolls, an attempt to create conflict out of the blue. Let the conflict not work out, let the game be extremely dependent on the throw of small hexagons, but the game definitely “went” (sorry for the liberties). For some, it may seem boring, not interesting and not dynamic. But it seems to me that the author did not try to put a deep meaning into it. The game is very simple and that's what it captivates. If you want to diversify the gameplay, use the extension (it is in the basic localized version). We tried it - we liked it. It complicates a little and becomes more interesting. Don't like cubes? Then this game is not for you... Try something else...

Interesting facts about the game

• The game was developed by Japanese board game designer Masao Suganuma and first published in 2012;
• The game has three official expansions: Machi Koro: Gaming Mega Store, Machi Koro: Harbor Expansion, Machi Koro: Millionaire's Row, which include additional playing cards. Also on the network you can find Machi Koro: Fabrique de jouets du Père Noël - a map that does not exist, but you can print it and include it in the game;
• In Russia, the game was localized by Hobby World. Storefronts showcase the original version of Machi Koro, as well as the expansion of Machi Koro Sharp.
• Original translation of the game: City Day (from Japanese);
Official page of the game.

Play with pleasure!

"Machi Koro" is a real Japanese tabletop hit where you need to become the most successful person in the city. You start with one wheat field and a bakery, your game goal is to build a Train Station, a Shopping Center, an Amusement Park and a Radio Tower, which is quite expensive.

Each building built gives the player certain bonuses - such as additional income, the ability to reroll dice, swap cards with another player, or even force other players to give you their own savings.

Income-Expense in Japanese

On their turn, each player rolls a six-sided die. Each map that the player has built brings him income. For example, the Shop will bring three coins from the bank if you roll a 4 on a die on your turn, but the Farm will bring a coin on a five roll not only on your turn, but also on your opponents' turn. Have you collected income? It's time to build. Choose one of the buildings (including 4 victory buildings) that you have enough money for - and the building card becomes yours.

Buildings of my dreams

In the board game Machi Koro, 4 winning buildings not only bring you closer to winning, but also provide tangible bonuses:

1) Station allows you to roll two dice instead of one. This is true if you are building buildings that require you to roll 7, 8, 9, and so on to generate income.

2) The amusement park allows you to take an extra turn if the dice rolled a double (relevant on your turn);

3) The radio tower allows you to reroll cubes (or one cube) once a turn - by the way, this is the most expensive building (as many as 22 coins);

4) The Trade Center increases your income from businesses such as cafes, shops and bakeries, bringing in one coin more for each building of this type.

In the board game MachiKoro, it is very important to think over the sequence in which you will build buildings. By the way, one player can have an unlimited number of buildings of the same type, so you can find a large number of options for winning ways: someone will travel at the expense of the farm, someone on wheat, some will build many shops and bakeries, others will save, and someone will bet on two dice and the properties of more serious buildings - so everything is in your hands ;)

The board game "Machi Koro" is quite simple rules, you can play it from 2 to 5 people, and it is perfect for playing in a family friend, as well as for a get-together with friends - and then you can not stand on ceremony, charging your opponents a fee for visiting cafes and restaurants;)

In the desktop market, there has recently been another replenishment of the ranks. This time Hobby World has localized a Japanese board game! Why the choice fell on her and why I want to tell you about her, read in this article...

What is inside?

Cards, cards and more cards - that's what you'll see when you open the box. They will be sealed in two decks, one for a simple game, the other for a longer and more intense game (the second deck is an addition to the main game). You can, for example, print one deck and play, and leave the second for later.

Well, there are not only cards in the game, there are also a couple of dice and a bunch of money. =)

What is the game about?

The photo above shows two sides of 4 cards, below in unbuilt form, above in built form. Each of the players will have such a set (4 cards) and the main task is to earn money as quickly as possible and rebuild these 4 buildings. As soon as someone has achieved this, the game ends with an unconditional victory.

How to play?

In order to accumulate the required amount of money for target buildings, you will first have to establish a profit stream by building other profitable buildings. The fact is that any card in the game makes a profit, but by the will of fate, this profit is fickle. =)

On his turn, the player must roll 1 (or 2) dice, and can also buy (or build, as you like) one card.

The result of the dice roll is compared with the numbers on the cards of the players, and if there is a match, then the condition for triggering the card is looked (on your turn, on someone else's turn, on the turn of any player). Everything coincided - we get the money ...

Accordingly, after we figured out the activation of the cards, we can make one purchase with the funds that we own (the prices are indicated on the cards at the bottom left).

In principle, these are all the rules of the game, the main text load is on the cards themselves, so I will talk about them separately.

Types of cards.

Blue cards in the game work on the turn of any player and they are more attractive than others. The most delicious are the mines, bringing 5 coins each. If you grab them pieces 2-3, then the end of the game will not wait long. =)

Green cards can only be activated on your turn. As a rule, these are tastier cards than blue ones. Even the starting bakery, although it gives 1 coin, is activated by a two or three. It is not uncommon in the game when someone has collected, for example, a lot of forests and mines, bought a furniture factory and is waiting for an eight to roll, which can immediately ensure the purchase of any of the target buildings.

Red is the color of aggression. But here even aggression looks somehow kind in the form of cafes and restaurants. If the opponent rolled, for example, a triple, and you have a cafe, then he owes you money for a snack in your establishment. You can, of course, create a whole chain of coffee shops and open one of the target buildings so that the visitor pays double the amount ... Then going to the cafe turns into a nightmare. =) (Does it remind you of anything?)

A special purple card can only be present in a player's singular and is activated by the six on its own turn. As a bonus, you can “warm up” well with your partner’s money, or even several.

In the photo above, you can see how your built enterprises look during the game.

Cards from an additional deck.
The add-on brings a lot of different cards to the game and increases the time of the game party. You can play according to the standard rules, as described above, that is, lay out all types of enterprises. But you will need twice as much space. Therefore, the creators of the game recommend a different version of the rules when playing with the addition: lay out 10 random types of enterprises and, when some of them run out, lay out new ones.
Let's take a closer look at the maps from the add-on.


Three more buildings that the player must build in order to win are in addition to the four from the base game. Moreover, one is already open, the second is very expensive (but if built, it will be very cool), and the third allows you to make dice rolls greater than 12!

New eating points for catching opponents in the game. Now you can fish on 1, 7 and 8.

So, we have a new icon related to seafood. Now, if you have a built port (it is very easy to build it), you can earn money on seafood. Also replenishment in the ranks of agricultural products in the form of a flower garden.

Purple cards, as always, are the coolest (that's why you can't keep more than one of them).

Now it makes sense to save up as many restaurants and cafes as possible. Restaurants operate on someone else's turn, and on your turn you can try to activate the Food Storage.
The flower shop works exclusively in conjunction with flower gardens, which is somehow weak compared to other enterprises.

Impression.

Before us is a brilliant salad of famous game mechanics. In terms of the spirit of the gameplay, "Machi Koro" reminded everyone who played "Monopoly" and "Colonialists". As in Monopoly, there is a snowball of buildings and the excitement of not falling into the clutches of an opponent from an unsuccessful roll of dice. In the direction of the "Colonialists" blows the conditions for victory and the method of activating cards. But despite this, the taste of the game is special and independent.

A game without an addition with new players, along with an explanation, lasts no more than 40 minutes, with more experienced players, respectively, even less, which allows you to play 2-3 games in an evening, unless something else is planned, of course. With the add-on, a game party can last up to an hour (or maybe more).

When you sit down for "Machi Koro", you must accept the fact that the element of luck in the form of a roll of dice is able to overcome any player's strategy. So, for example, my first game was marked by regular rolls on 11 and 12, which personally disrupted the flow of funds from "more likely" enterprises for me. Therefore, one should not lose hope for a good throw here (although in most games it is the strategy that wins).

A few tips/observations after a dozen games without expansion:
- I won one of the first games using only one die. This is also a kind of strategy, when all players go into enterprises with values ​​greater than 6, and you do not allow them to cash in on yourself by rolling just one die and, accordingly, swinging enterprises with numbers up to 6.
- In no case should you ignore the purchase of red cards. If you don't buy it, others will, it's already been proven.
- If your opponents have a lot of cafes and restaurants, you need to develop a strategy to earn as much as possible in one move. And we must try to spend everything without a trace, so as not to give our earned coins to others. Even if I have one coin during the game, I buy a card with it.
- In the game, you can develop in different ways: either a little everywhere, then there will be a stable, but small income, or in one direction (for example, in farming). The second option is riskier and you can generally sit without money for a couple of moves, but if the cubes have already turned to you with the right face, you will bathe in gold. =) I always choose the second method, then excitement wakes up and emotions overflow.
- A deliberately losing strategy to collect cards of the same color (even blue ones). There is a category of people who like to collect beautiful sets. Warn them that this is a road to failure (or ask them why they even play if they don't want to win).

To whom do I recommend the game?
"Machi Koro" is suitable for everyone who wants to have a good time and does not really want to strain their brains (although you still have to think). This means that such a box will take root at home for family gatherings, in a cafe / anti-cafe / club for young companies, and in general wherever cheerful and cheerful people gather. =) An excellent addition to the collection for a family man like me. =)

Board game

Number of players
2 to 5

Party time
30 to 60 minutes

Game difficulty
Medium

Japanese economic strategy. You have to become the mayor of a small town, which with your help can become the most magnificent and prosperous in the district. Here you are given the opportunity to build shops, cafes, factories and increase the budget.

Board game Machi Kora: game rules

Preparing Machi Koro

• Each player receives two enterprise cards (“Wheatfield” and “Bakery”) and places them in front of him. front side.
• Each participant receives 4 sightseeing cards and also places them in front of him with the front side (“Radio tower”, “Shopping center”, “Station”, “Amusement park”).
• Each player receives 3 coins as initial capital. Reserve cards must be sorted by type and laid out in the middle of the table.
• All other cards (if any) are added to the box. Thus, the player's city is formed, which will further develop.

The process of playing Machi Koro

All players take turns.

Each player makes his turn, which consists of two phases:

1. income phase.
2. Construction phase.

income phase.

The player rolls the die. If the player has a train station, then he can choose how many dice to roll 1 or 2. According to the results of the roll, all players, without exception, receive income. The number in the top corner of the card indicates which dice result triggers the card's effect. And at the bottom of the card is the effect itself. The effect of the card also describes where the player takes coins from an opponent or from the bank.

Construction phase.

In this phase, the player chooses one of three actions:

• Build one business. The player pays the construction to the bank and takes the corresponding card from the reserve and places it in his town. In one city, you can build only 1 enterprise of each type with a special symbol indicated on the map. If the symbol is not on the card, then you can build as many as you like.
• Build one attraction. Here the player selects and pays for an attraction. Landmark effect is now active in your city.
• Refuse construction. You do nothing and the turn passes to the next player.

Finishing the game Machi Koro

The Machi Koro board game ends as soon as one of the participants has built 4 attractions in his town. He is declared the winner.

Japan is an amazing country, the birthplace of many inventions and enchanting traditions. The Japanese came up with a CD-Rom, a cassette player, a hexagonal pencil, lasers with different wavelengths and other useful things, without which it is impossible to imagine modern life. And they also thought of rolling fresh fish into a tube, cutting it into slices and elevated this dubious dish to the rank of a delicacy. In a word, the Japanese are still wizards. Today on the Pink sofa is the town-planning board game Machi Koro.

An edible iPhone case, a smart robot for cleaning the iPad screen, pears in the form of sleeping babies and heated socks are just a few of the creations of Japanese developers. But the original idea is half the battle, you still need to effectively name your brainchild. And here again the Japanese are ahead of the rest, since no one except them knows how to pronounce the text printed on the box correctly. And given that in a meager European language quite often there is no alternative, it is not possible to translate the name from Japanese. So it happened with the game, which I will talk about today.

"Machi Koro". Associations with a board game are the last thing that comes to mind after such a name. However, the box contains two stacks of cards, a handful of cardboard tokens, two dice, and a booklet with parting words from the Japanese developers.

There is only one resource in the game - money (60 coins of three denominations). Everything you do comes down to making a lot of money. And two standard blue hexagons will help in this.

Each player will start their city government with a standard wheat field and a modest house with a bakery. 10 starting cards of two types imply participation in gameplay up to five applicants for the position of mayor. To win, the opponents have to build four types of attractions (20 cards).

87 cards in 12 types of green, blue and red colors will allow you to build a lot of enterprises in your quarter and, as a result, earn a lot of coins that can be invested in construction, from which you will receive money and so on ... Business in all its glory.

In addition to the usual enterprises, with which you can cover the entire sponsored territory, you can build a large enterprise by choosing one of three types purple cards.

A small digression: the Hobby World publishing house has made a truly royal gift to all fans of the game by adding an add-on to the box (which is about 73 cards)! Thus, the player has at his disposal a complete set for the construction of a small but very profitable town.

The add-on includes a special starting attraction "City Hall", as well as two additional attractions "Port" and "Airport".

In addition, the number of red cards has increased, sea vessels, a flower garden with a flower shop and a food warehouse have appeared. All this is added to the base kit and significantly changes the game for the better.

Oh yes, the tax office (where without them) and the publishing house. These are large enterprises, therefore, as before, only one of the buildings of this type can be built.

Separating the components of the base game from the expansion is easy enough, you just need to look at the lower right corner of the card. There, the add-on has an icon printed (it is absent in the basic version). Also on the cards are special icons, which are not necessary to memorize - any building contains detailed description properties (text below). The numbers on top are the required result of a die roll (or two dice) to activate the card, the coin on the bottom left is the cost of the building. That's all the wisdom of the game ...

Districts, quarters, massifs ...

So, each candidate for mayor gets a wheat field and a bakery (ready to use), as well as four points of interest that still need to be built (the cards are placed with the "bulldozer" icon up). What this or that building does can be found from the text. Starting capital is small - only three coins.

Sort the reserve cards by type and arrange them in piles in the center of the table. The order can be any, as you like, so do (we lay out the cost). Give two dice to the player with the roundest eyes. He puts one die aside, throws the second.

Actually, any player's turn consists of two actions: throwing a die (or two dice) and buying a card. Throwing a hexagon, all participants look at the result and apply the effects of the cards (when to apply the effect and where to take the money from is indicated in the text).

For example: the bakery brings 1 coin from the bank if the result of the roll is 2 or 3. The effect only affects the active player.

After receiving income, you can either buy one new map from the center of the table, or turn over one of your four cards. In any case, you must pay the bank the amount indicated in the lower left corner. The POI effect only works when the card is active (face up).

The effect of a regular building is always active (the card is always face up). Purchased buildings are located in front of the player and lie with him until the very end of the game.

When buying, be guided by when the card is valid: on your turn (green), only on the opponent's turn (red) or on any turn (blue).

Some point of interest cards work in conjunction with regular cards.

For example: the shopping center itself will not give anything, but it increases the amount of money received from shops and restaurants. The station allows you to roll two dice, and the sum of the results of the rolls is taken into account, and not each individual die.

To win according to the basic rules, you must build (turn the picture up) all four points of interest.

When using the add-on, you need to build six points of interest. Please note: the town hall brings one coin every turn and is active from the very beginning of the game.

Having built Korograd.

I'm not afraid of this word - a great game for all ages and skill levels of players. The rules are explained in just 30 seconds, no special skills and experience are required for urban planning. However, behind the external simplicity lies an interesting tactical puzzle, which can only be solved by playing a dozen games.

The player is constantly faced with a choice: flip one of their attractions (spending a lot of money) or invest in new buildings and make capital. At the same time, an excessive passion for money can turn into a loss, because whoever turns over four cards first wins. And finances and buildings are not taken into account in the final calculation ...

After the game, there is a desire to start building again, as various combinations of buildings appear in the head to "overlap" the entire numerical range of throws of hexagons. By the way, despite the constant presence of "symbols of chaos", there is no randomness in the gameplay. With proper planning, you will always receive dividends on any result of the roll. As a last resort, you can steal something from your opponent on his turn...

A separate mention is worthy of the presence in the add-on box - it's nice when the publisher does not "pump" money out of you, but completely equips the game. A big plus for the "World of Hobby" ...

Game provided for review by the store " hobby games", the sellers of which will advise and help in choosing the product you are interested in.