Board Game Spotlight: Cyclades

Today, by the grace of Zeus we turn our eye onto Cyclades, a game of supremacy in mythological Greece.

In Cyclades each player takes command of one of the great cities of Greece and attempts to assert there hegemony over the many archipelagos it consists of. You will bid for the favour of the gods, granting you special action, as well as attempting to summon mythological such as Medusa, the Pegasus and Minotaurs.

The Game

The goal of Cyclades is to construct two metropolises, these are created through the construction of cities or by demonstrating your intellectual might. Taking your opponent's buildings through military conquest is also a valid way to win this game, and in this frantic game of gods and men, you will have to be certain that you are not building for your opponents gain.

Cyclades takes up to five players and at the beginning of each turn you will all try to gain the favour of a god. Making you sure you have enough tribute to beat your rivals to the god you want is especially important since each has a special set of actions.

The board is extremely tight so make sure your shield is ready and your sword is sharp from turn one.

Theme

Cyclades is firmly rooted in Greek mythology however it does also draw inspiration from the area in Greece also known as Cyclades. This area is made up of archipelagos and the game's modular board represents this.

The game contains some fantastic artwork on the god and creature cards, and the unique effects each brings to the game will certainly make sure their presence is felt.

Publisher

Matagot is a French board game company and they have another game in their collection that is quite similar to Cyclades, and that game is Kemet! Though the theme differs, both are hyper-aggressive area control games.

Matagot also produce some fantastic games for the more faint of heart such as Takenoko, a game about bamboo and pandas, and Dice Town, a western themed dice game. Both of these board games have also proven to be big hits.

Buy Cyclades Today

Cyclades is available  on our online store as well as the the expansion Hades, which brings into play minor gods and more creatures and Titans, which adds rules for a six player team game and an additional major god.