Machi Koro

Today I review the 2012 release, Machi Koro.  For 2-4 players, it plays in 30 minutes.

Overview
In Machi Koro, you are a mayor trying to build the biggest city.  Starting with just a few establishments (like a bakery, wheat field, etc.), your goal is to be the first to build 5 landmarks.

There are several colors of establishments, each having an activation number (the dice roll that activates it) and cost:
Blue establishments: when the activation number is rolled, get income from the bank during any turn
Green: when rolled, get income from the bank only on your turn
Red: when rolled, take coins from the person who rolled the dice
Purple: when rolled, get income from all other players, but only on your turn

Simplified Gameplay
On each of your turns, you have three phases:
- Roll dice
- Earn income
- Construction

Roll one die (to start- it can increase to 2 or 3 dice as you go).  The number rolled activates any effects on the board with a matching number and appropriate color.  You'll earn (or lose) income based on that roll.  If you have enough, you can then spend income to construct an establishment or a landmark.  Since establishments can help you earn income, you'll probably buy many of them.  But landmarks can give powerful abilities, too, and they're how you win- so plan carefully.

Turns proceed clockwise, with players potentially gaining and losing significant amounts as the game goes on.  The first person to construct 5 landmarks wins!

some components; image from here

See the rule book for more information.

Review
This is a nice little game.  It reminded me, in a way, of Settlers of Catan.  As in Settlers, you maximize your chances of winning by securing items that will benefit you on different rolls of the die.  If you diversify your establishments, you stand a good chance of gaining income you need to succeed.  As with Settlers, you can be robbed, which gets annoying.  But overall, this is fun.

Rating: A-