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Prolific designer Reiner Knizia has announced an 'international version' of The Quest for El Dorado on Twitter. He revealed all new artwork from the also prolific games artist Vincent Dutrait, as well as larger cards. What is not clear from his tweet is who is publishing the reprint and what languages it will be available in, but Knizia does state 'Many expansions waiting...'
This is interesting news on many levels. In reprinting the game so soon there is a real risk of alienating current owners. There is no word whether the first expansion will receive a new print either. Will the new expansions be available in the old format too?
It is not currently clear who will be publishing the reprint. Grail Games have stated it isn't them but Ravensburger remain silent so far.
What is El Dorado?
The Quest for El Dorado is a well-regarded deck building and race game. Players build their deck to traverse the scenery quickest. Deck management is important but this is also a race, so you have to move too!
My biggest complaints with the base game were the small cards, and some of the hex pieces were not stuck down well at the edge. The artwork was nice though and the iconography clear, but there is no reason to think this will change in Dutrait's hands.
The news about the bigger cards is great but my only concern is the table space the game will now need. With the full four players the game is already a bit of a table hog, and this will only get worse with bigger components.
For me, however, unless there are some major changes this is a no brainer for me. My old copy will be donated to a local club and I will pick up this new printing as soon as possible - assuming it is printed in English for this version!
In the Meantime
Whilst you're waiting for more information on the international version, check out our review of the original. You can also take a closer look by watching my unboxing video on YouTube.