Carnegie Game Review - Meeple Mountain

The genius of Carnegie comes from the action selection system, known as the Timeline. A game of Carnegie takes place over 20 rounds; in a round, ... 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Carnegie(2022,publishedbyPegasusSpieleinNorthAmerica)hadaninterestingjourney,fromitstimeinacrowdfundingcampaigntomydoorstep. AsIhighlightedinmyarticleaboutBoardGameArena(BGA),CarnegiewasmadeavailabletothemassesduringitsKickstarter.WhereasmanygameshavefreeimplementationsonTabletopSimulatororTabletopia,CarnegiewasbuiltintheBGAenvironmentanditwassignificantlyeasiertointeractwiththankstoBGA’ssuperiorUI. Asaresult,IplayedCarnegie17timesonBGA.Ihadthechancetoplayitsolo(16ofthe17times)andwithafriendinoneofmygaminggroupsasatwo-playerexperience.Ithoughtitwasgood,butwasn’treadytodropmoneyonthegame’sdeluxeversionplusshipping.However,IknewthateventuallyIwantedtoseehowtheonlinegameexperiencetranslatedasaphysicalversion. I’mexcitedtosharethattheretailversionofthegameisexcellent.TheteamatPegasusSpielewaskindenoughtosendareviewcopy,andIreallyamsurprisedathowsolidtheretailversionofthegameis;theproductionisfantastic. Youcangetyourhandsononeoftheyear’sbestgamesforareasonableprice.CarnegiehasanovelactionselectionsystempairedwithitsveryEuromilestonesystem—Donations—whichalltranslateintoaverysatisfyingmid-weightexperience. TheLate1800s? It’stheageofbusinessmanandphilanthropistAndrewCarnegie,andplayerstakeontherolesofentrepreneurstryingtobuildabusinessfromthegroundup. Evennow,I’mnotreallysurewhatthebackstoryisforthisgame.ThegameisaboutAndrewCarnegie,butnoneoftheplayersareplayingasCarnegiehimself.It’snotreallyclearwhatyearitis—Carnegiemadehisnameduringthebackhalfofthe19thcentury,butthisgamefeaturesrunningabusinesswithanelevatorinitslobby,plusstagecoaches,carts,andlocomotivesasameansofmovingEmployeesaroundthegameboard.Let’sgowiththelate1800s,then? GamesofCarnegierevolvearoundscoringpointsbydoingafewdifferentthings.YouwanttobethebestatbuildinganetworkofconnectionsacrossthecontinentalUS.BymakingDonations,playerscanensureend-gamepointsbyspendingcashatcertainpointsinthegame.YourResearch&Development(R&D)DepartmentallowsforthedevelopmentofProjectTabs.BuildingDepartmentsbeyondyourstartingsetoflocationsgivesyoubothchancestobuildmorebuildings,aswellaspotentiallyscoringpointsbytheendofplay. It’salot,ormaybe,itjustsoundslikealot.Whenyoufirstsetupthegame,readthroughtherulebook,andnavigatewhat’spossibleoneachturn,itlookslikeitwillbeabeast.Buttheactionsarestraightforward,thegameisrelativelyeasytoteach,andtheterm“easytolearn,difficulttomaster”comestomindasyouworkthroughyourfirstcoupleofplays. Bestmechanismoftheyear? ThegeniusofCarnegiecomesfromtheactionselectionsystem,knownastheTimeline.AgameofCarnegietakesplaceover20rounds;inaround,oneplayeristheactiveplayer,andthatplayerselectsoneofthefourDepartmentsinthegame:HumanResources(HR),Management,Construction,andR&D.PickinganactiontriggersanEvent,whichiseithertheDonationsystemImentionedearlieroranIncomeround,tiedtooneofthemap’sfourregions. OneofthebestpuzzlesinCarnegiecomesfromtheIncomesequence.Employeesthatwerepreviouslysentouton“Missions”canreturnhome,generatingcash,goodsandmaybenewEmployeesifatleastoneemployeeissentbacktoaplayer’scompanyboard.ButhavingEmployeesintheproperregions,planningfarenoughaheadtoreturnEmployeesatjusttherighttime,isoneofthemoresatisfyingmomentsinCarnegie.Itfeelsgreatwhenyoulineupeverythingjustright. (Theterm“Mission”maybetheonlypartofthegamethatwaslostintranslationwhenthisgamewasspunintoEnglish;wouldanyonesendtheirsalesteamona“Mission”???) AftertheEvent(DonationorIncome)isresolved,theactiveplayertakesthefirstactionoftheselectedDepartment.Then,eachotherplayerhastofollowtheactiveplayer’sactionchoice,andcanplayiftheyhaveanyactiveEmployeesinthatDepartment. R&Dletsplayersadvanceontracksinanyofthefourregions,whichcouldspikeafutureround’sincome.R&DalsoprovidesmorebuildingsfortheConstructionDepartmentonlaterturns.R&DisthemostimportantDepartmentinthegame. TheotherDepartmentsdowhatyou’dexpect.HRprovidesfortraining,orretraining,ofnewEmployeesbyprovidingmovementpointstogetpeopleintootherpartsofyour15-spaceCompany.ManagementsendsEmployeesoutonMissionstoprovideinstantcashand/orgoods,aswellasmanagetheslotsinyourcompanybyprovidingnewDepartmentstouseduringmatchingactionslater. ConstructiongeneratesthemainareacontrolmechanicsofCarnegie.BydroppingbuildingprojectsacrosstheUS,playerscangetinstantincomebonuses,end-gamescoringforbuildingincertaincities,andchancestobuildanetworkofcityconnectionsthatcanscoreamassivepointbonanzaifyouareabletoconnectallfourregionalhubswithpoint-to-pointconnections. “DoubleHR” ThebestpartoftheTimeline:tryingtofigureoutwhichofthefourDepartmentsaplayerwillpickontheirturn. Sometimes,it’seasytoforecast:allplayersmighthaveabunchofEmployeesintheirrespectivelobbies,andnootherwaytotakeameaningfulactionormakeadonationwithoutusingHRtomovepeoplearound. Sometimes,it’sahedge:youdon’tknowwhatyourneighborAlecisgoingtopick,butyou’vegotenoughactiveEmployeesineachDepartmentsothatyoucandosomethingdecentnomatterwhichDepartmentAlecpicksonhisturn. And,occasionally,it’sacrapshoot:youthinkyour“friend”KevisgoingtopickR&D,andthen,justaftersomeonepicksHRtomovepeoplearound,KevpicksHRasecondturninarow. “You[profanitydeleted]!!”youblurtout.“Didyoujustgo‘doubleHR’onus?” Butthat’sjustit,isn’tit?Aplayercansurveythelandscape,knowwhat’sbestforthem,seewhat’sworstforyou,andexecuteontheirplan.Often,thisleadstocomedy. Carnegieletsyougetaroundthisoncepergame,atleastifyouwerethethirdplayertoplayinathree-playergame,orifyouareinafullplayercountgameoffourpeople.Inthesesituations,you’llhaveaccesstoatokenthatletsyoupickadifferentactionthantheonethatwasselectedbytheactiveplayeronceintheentiregame. TheTimelineisthebestpartofCarnegie.IthasalotofthethingsthatlandwellinaEurogameexperience,butit’sthiskindofinteractionthatreallysings:youcanstilltechnicallydoanaction,butisthistherighttimetodoit?Hardtosay.Ifyou’veplannedwell,youmightbeabletogetaroundit,butit’snotaguarantee. TheProduction Foraretailcopy,thecomponentsofCarnegiearesomeofthebestinthemarket. Let’sstartwiththeCompanyboardsthateachplayerhastostartthegame.ThisboardissothickthatitaccommodatestheProjectTabs—cardboardslideswhichareslowlypulledoutfromthesidetoholdconstructiondiscs;it’sareallycooltouch,andthebestphysicalcomponentinthegame. TheartworkisfromIanO’Toole,soanothercheckintheboxthere.O’Toole’sworkonthemainboardgivesCarnegiesuchastrikingtablepresence;thepicturesItookforthisarticlearedecent,butseeingthis“inreallife”issomethingtobehold. ThecardboardmoneytokensinthedeluxeversionofCarnegieareshiny,small,and,well,silly.Thecardboardmoneyintheretailversionisactuallybetterthanthedeluxemoney,butinbothcases,IusemyIronClaysforcash.(Seriously,people:pokerchips.) Comingbacktothemainboard,thelayoutisexcellent.ThemapoftheUSandtheDonationsectionsareveryeasytoreadfromacrossthetable.Supercleanlines.Thescoringsummaryinthebottomleft-handcornerisfantastic. ScoresinCarnegiehavegenerallyfalleninthe100-150range,withverylittlescoringtakingplaceduringgames.Thistellsmeascorepadwouldhavebeentherightcallinsteadofascoretrackeraroundthegameboard’souterborder,butthisisaminorissuebecausetheboardissowellthoughtout. Thefinishonthepoker-sizedsolodeckcardsalsohaveanicefeel.(Thesolomodeisadministeredthroughcards.Ihaven’tplayedthephysicalgamesolobecausetheBGAversionissogood.)TheTimelinehaslotsofvarietythankstohowitisconstructed,ensuringthateverygameisalittledifferent. TheMainIssue:R&D Mysense(after20games,17virtualand3inperson)isthatR&DisthemostimportantDepartmentinthegame. WhilesomeoftheotherDepartmentsthatcanbeaddedtotheCompanyboardaresituationallystrong,mygamesofCarnegiehaveusuallyfeaturedawinnerwhowasbestattheR&Daction.AcoupleoftheDepartmentsareupgradesoverthestartingR&DDepartment,andallthetracksaretiedtoR&Dpointsbeingspenttomakeincomestronger,ortoaddBuildingstoyouravailablesupply. Idon’tthinkthisisbroken,butIdothinksomeDepartmentsareobjectivelybetterthansomeoftheonesin,say,HR.ThatmeansthatgettingR&DDepartmentsduringthedraftatsetup—eachplayerdraftsasingleDepartmentthatmustbebuiltfirstwhentakingaManagementaction—isagoldrush,especiallywhentherandomtiledrawleavesonlyacoupleofR&DDepartmentsavailableforplayers. Yep,It’saWinner Carnegieisreallygood.Heavystrategygamersloveitasamid-weightpuzzle.Mid-weightEurogamerslovetheTimeline;everyonelovesthestrongproductionqualities. AsmuchasIenjoythephysicalproduction,IlovethatthisgameisavailableonBGAtotryfirstinitscompleteform.EventheexpansionDepartments(whichIhavenotplayedwithyet)areavailableonBGA,soinapinch,youcangetyourCarnegiefixwhenyouwouldlike,solo,withfriendsorcompletestrangers. WhileI’mconcernedabouttheweightofR&D’sDepartments,thiscanbeaddressedbyagoodinstructorwhennewplayersaresortingthroughwhichDepartmentsaremostvaluable.Otherwise,CarnegieisasolidadditiontoanyEurogamer’scollection.  Carnegiedetails Designer: XavierGeorges Artists: IanO'Toole Publishers: HOTGames,MalditoGames,MosaicoJogos,PegasusSpiele,PixieGames,QuinedGames,sternenschimmermeer,TeslaGames ReleaseDate:2022 Playercount:1-4 Agerange:12+ Timerange:120-180minutes Mechanism(s): ActionRetrieval,AreaMovement,Connections,EndGameBonuses,Follow,GridMovement,Income,MovementPoints,NetworkandRouteBuilding,ResourcetoMove,Solo/SolitaireGame,SquareGrid,TechTrees/TechTracks,TurnOrder:Progressive,VariablePhaseOrder,WorkerPlacement,DifferentWorkerTypes MorearticlesaboutCarnegie. 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