Men-Nefer: Ancient Egypt has never been so well portrayed — Full Review

Let’s be clear from the start: Men-Nefer is a delightful surprise. Ludonova delivers a pure, heavyweight Eurogame brimming with strategic depth, where every mechanic tells a coherent story within the context of ancient Egypt. You wrap mummies before transporting them in sarcophagi to the Necropolis. You obtain Khufu’s Permission before constructing the secondary pyramids. You sculpt your sphinxes before erecting them as avenues. Want to make an offering at the temple? You must first craft the item in your workshops. This thematic coherence makes learning the actions incredibly smooth despite the abundance of icons. This is the genius of the interconnected mechanics. Germán P. Millán has succeeded in creating an ecosystem where absolutely everything is logically and thematically linked.

The game is brimming with great ideas. Take the Duat Meter system (the Heart and Feather gauge): it’s particularly well-designed. It’s a strategic element that you absolutely cannot ignore, or you’ll see your victory points plummet at the end of each era. The specialization tracks also work extremely well: while visiting a House of Life grants a basic action, choosing to specialize in it significantly strengthens your abilities for the rest of the game.

The Action Tablet system is original: tablets that you must choose, and which will determine your future actions for the next era, with the added bonus of a hieroglyph that rewards the consistency of your choices. It’s elegant and well-conceived.

Finally, the Pyramid construction offers a wide variety of scoring options: the Great Pyramid rewards your speed and progress on its dedicated track, while the Queens’ Pyramids rely on a highly lucrative element multiplication mechanic. Similarly, the placement of sarcophagi and its cross-scoring system with the Mastabas present constant and agonizing dilemmas.

However, make no mistake: Men-Nefer is a demanding game. The rules are dense, and the first game will inevitably be a somewhat tough learning curve. The sheer number of interconnected systems might also discourage casual players.

The game board is also visually very busy. Laura Bevon has done a magnificent job artistically, but the legibility of certain areas can be a bit jarring during the first few turns. The iconography is highly precise, but appears minuscule in some places. You eventually get used to it, but the adjustment period is definitely there.

Some naysayers will also point out that the game relies on mechanics that, while clever, are ultimately quite conventional. But is that really a bad thing when the formula is so well executed? That’s for you to decide. Furthermore, interaction remains primarily indirect: it’s a pure race for position on the tracks, snatching contracts right out from under your opponents’ noses, or blocking sphinx pedestals. Finally, as you play more games, some strategies seem slightly stronger or more obvious than others, even though the game offers plenty of ways to adapt.

Men-Nefer is an excellent title for experienced players who enjoy rich, deep Eurogames with a strong thematic focus. Rewarding, boasting superb tactical depth, and beautifully produced, it stands out as a must-have for fans of complex strategy games.