- Publisher : Pixie Games
- Designer(s) : Jun Sasaki, Goro Sasaki
- Artist(s) : Jun Sasaki
- Players : 2–5
- Playing time : 30 Min
- Weight BGG : 1.20
What's this?
Souvenirs of Venice is a family board game in which you play as a tourist in a gondola cruising the canals of the Venetian city. Your mission? Collect the rarest souvenirs to bring back enough for your loved ones before time runs out. But be careful: between the race against time and a slightly disruptive pigeon seed seller, your getaway might not go as planned!
How do you play?
- Flip a tile anywhere.
- Roll the die to determine their movement.
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Move their gondola on the tiles (movements are made on rows or columns).
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Flip an adjacent tile, sell a souvenir to exchange it for a silver coin , or buy a souvenir that is already face up.
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Collecting souvenirs : there are 6 different types:
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Venetian glass
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Venetian mask
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Leather goods
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Gondolier’s shirt
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Squid ink pasta
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Fridge magnet
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Souvenirs only earn points in sets of three of the same kind . Rarer ones are worth more points but are harder to collect.
⚠️ Events and end of game:
When the Pigeon Seed Seller is revealed, you must immediately trade one of your precious souvenirs to the player to your left. A real pain!
The game ends as soon as all the tiles are turned over . If you don’t return to the airport in time, you lose your memories – the plane has left without you!
Is it good?
After Scout , a game from the same publisher that I loved – recognizable with its small, well-filled boxes and minimalist illustrations – I was curious to try Souvenirs de Venise .
In this game, we clearly find the typical artistic direction of Oink Games: a style that is at once simple, colorful and stylish.
Souvenirs of Venice is a race against time to acquire the best souvenirs before time runs out. It combines risk-taking, luck, memory, and a touch of bluffing, with welcome twists, including the appearance of the pigeon food vendor , who may disrupt your best-laid plans.
The game is very easy to pick up, making it accessible to everyone, even casual players.
But despite all these strengths, Memories of Venice isn’t really a tactical or strategic game. It’s a bit too fast-paced to allow for any meaningful choices or truly decisive actions.
Ultimately, the game isn’t as exceptional as Scout , also from Oink Games. It won’t be suitable for those looking for depth or high replayability. On the other hand, it perfectly fulfills its role as a fast, light and accessible game , ideal for a relaxed game with friends or family.
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Review Souvenirs of Venice
Positives
- Typical Oink Games art direction
- Simple rules and quick start
- Game accessible to all audiences
- Short game
Negatives
- Little strategic or tactical depth
- Strong element of chance
- Sometimes parts too fast to feel a build-up in power
- Less striking and original than other games from the same publisher (like Scout)
Breakdown
- Components and illustrations 8.0
- Mechanics 6.0
- Thematic 5.0
- Replayability 6.0
- Getting started 9.5
- Interaction 7.0
- Originality 6.0
