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In another of our regular board game spotlights, Zatu Games takes a long hard look at itself in the mirror and doesn’t like what it sees, not any more… not like this. Just visible in the reflection, a glimmer of hope, is Amphipolis, the 2015 release from publisher Desyllas Games and designer Reiner Knizia.
The Game
Amphipolis is a game in which players must rush to save as many artifacts as possible from incoming landslides, the socially acceptable equivalent of nicking a bunch of TVs during a hailstorm.
A turn consists of three actions. The first involves a velvet bag, as all exquisite pastimes do. Players take four artifact tiles from the bag, which could be any combination of mosaics, pots, statues and skeletons, incidentally exactly what you get if you lock some pedestrians in a Las Vegas hotel. These artifacts are then divided into the relevant sections on the board (all pots together, all mosaics together etc). However, mixed among them are landslide tiles. These are placed in the centre of the board, and when a certain number go down, the game ends.
Having placed their tiles, a player may choose a section and take two artifacts. Then, if they wish, they can play one of four helper cards: the assistant, who’s doing a power pose next to a big column; the archaeologist, who’s doing a power pose in a doorway; the digger, who’s doing a power pose with a shovel; or the professor, who doesn’t even appear to be onsite. These allow you to collect more tiles according to their own specific abilities.
Collecting artifacts in certain combinations increases your score. Once the land has sufficiently slid, scores are totted up and the highest wins.
The Publisher
Desyllas Games is a Greek board game publisher that has been operating for over 30 years. They pride themselves on producing games that are for everyone, all ages, all temperaments. Amphipolis embodies that aim.
Other board games in their catalogue include card game OMG, strategy game Mess Machine and party games Emojito and Crazy Bullets.
The Designer
Reiner Knizia is a game designer from Germany, who is now based here in the UK. He used to work in the finance industry, but is now one of the most prolific, successful and well known game designers in the industry.
Knizia has also worked on popular games such as Lord of the Rings, Through The Desert and Lost Cities. Some of his games have also been redeveloped for video game consoles, such as Lost Cities on the Xbox 360 and Keltis on the DS.
Knizia has also designed various game applications specifically for the iPhone, including Robot Master, Dice Monster, Labyrinth and Pipes.
If you hate seeing pottery ruined by awry stones, buy this game from Zatu today!
