- Publisher : Pixie Games
- Designer : Juma Al-JouJou
- Artist(s) : Klemens Franz
- Players : 1–4
- Playing time : 30–120 Min
- Weight BGG : 3.46
What's this?
Clans of Caledonia is an economic strategy game for 1 to 4 players, where each player takes on the role of a 19th-century Scottish clan. The goal of the game is to accumulate the most victory points (VP) by producing, trading, and exporting agricultural goods, as well as Scotch whisky.
How do you play?
The game takes place over five rounds, each consisting of four phases: the preparation phase, the action phase, the production phase and the scoring phase.
There are 8 possible actions to take during your turn:
➡️ 1. Trade: You can send merchants to the market to buy or sell goods.
➡️ 2. Obtain an export contract: You receive an export contract which must be carried out.
➡️ 3. Development: Place a unit (sheep, cow, cheese factory, bakery, field, distillery, lumberjack or miner) on the main board within range of one of your units. Pay the costs.
➡️ 4. Shipping Improvement: Pay £4 to increase your shipping reach.
➡️ 5. Technology Improvement: Players can increase the income of their workers (lumberjacks and miners) by improving their equipment.
➡️ 6. Hire a merchant: You can use this merchant for future Commerce actions.
➡️ 7. Complete an Export Contract: Complete an Export Contract and earn the listed benefits.
➡️ 8. Skip
During the production phase, players receive income and produce goods from units deployed on the field.
The player with the most victory points at the end of the fifth round wins the game.
Is it good?
Clan of Caledonia offers a gaming experience that is strongly reminiscent of its illustrious predecessor, Terra Mystica. The expansion mechanics on the central board, the neighborhood bonuses, the asymmetrical clans, the end-of-round score tiles and the unlockables on the personal board create an obvious parallel between the two games.
However, Clan of Caledonia stands out for its strong and coherent theme, where each element of the game finds its place and its meaning. The mechanics of the market work wonderfully and bring an additional dimension to the strategy.
Replayability is guaranteed by a variable points system per round, a modular board and unique player clans. Not to mention the game’s charming aesthetic, with its artwork and wooden elements contributing to the overall experience.
Clan of Caledonia is an excellent strategy game that will appeal to fans of Terra Mystica or Project Gaia looking for a more accessible and faster game. It offers remarkable depth and richness for its relatively short playing time.
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Review Clan of Caledonia
Positives
- Deep game mechanics
- Strong and coherent theme
- High replayability
- Market mechanics
- Charming aesthetic
Negatives
- Potential complexity
- Imbalance of certain clans.
Breakdown
- Components and illustrations 9.0
- Mechanics 9.5
- Theme 9.0
- Replayability 9.0
- Handling 9.0
- Interaction 9.0
- Originality 8.0
