Antioch

Players: 1-4

Time: 75-90 minutes

LSC: 2/4/3 (Luck, Strategy, Complexity, out of 5)

Mechanics: Tile Laying, Area Influence, Connections, Changing Game Arc

Status: Playtesting & Development

The base game is playing great. I'm working on the solo mode, where you play against Rome's Tax Collectors. Also working on a few ideas for Age Cards that provide a unique, random twist to the rules for each Age, as well as a few expansion ideas.

In Antioch you play as a Construction Guild in the ancient Roman city of Antioch, which has been plagued with earthquakes for millennia. Your job is to rebuild the city in the Ages between the disastrous earthquakes, earning Prestige from the Roman emperors. Can you rebuild their beloved city of Antioch?

On your turn:

Take two actions:

Play two tiles from behind your player screen.
Each of five Building types earns Coins in their own way, based on surrounding Building types and colors on the map.
Money tiles earn Coins based on how many you turn in. Aftershock tiles let you create and clear Rubble.

Take optional actions once each:

Pay 5 Coins to take play another tile from behind your screen.
Place a Master Builder to enhance scoring opportunities.
Place a Building Crew token to restore destroyed Buildings.
Activate Building Crews to clear Rubble and open up areas for new Buildings.

End your turn:

Draw back up to six tiles behind your screen.
Tremor tiles contribute to ending the current Age.

Ending an Age:

When Tremor tiles equal to the current Age have been drawn, the Age ends.

Age-End Quake:

Destroy all Buildings that match the colors on the Tremor board. One color is destroyed in Age I, two in Age II, and three in Age III. After Age IV the entire city is destroyed.
Master Builders and Building Crews protect their tiles!

Score Master Builders:

Master Builders score Coins for the tile they are on again!

Buy Prestige:

Prestige is earned with the Coins collected through the Age. However, Prestige gets more expensive in each Age.

Score Rubble after Age IV:

At the end of the game you’ll earn additional Prestige for the Rubble you’ve cleared throughout the game, plus a bonus for all Rubble cleared of one color.

Features:

Thematic & Strategic

Set in ancient Antioch, this has the feel of classic games, like Tigris & Euphrates, but with its own unique twist. After each age parts of the city are destroyed by earthquakes, with each quake becoming more destructive.

Strategic Shift over Four Ages

As the game progresses and earthquakes get more destructive, the strategic focus shifts from earning Coins by constructing Buildings to clearing Rubble for end-game Prestige, resulting in an interesting game arc.

Unique Scoring

In each successive Age conversion of Coins to Prestige becomes more expensive, so Prestige earned from building the city decreases. However, end-game Prestige is earned from rubble cleared throughout the game.

Solo Mode

Solo play of Antioch pits your Construction Guild against Rome's Tax Collectors. You'll be responsible for building the city and the Tax Collectors will be taxing the buildings you construct. Carefully manage what you build and where to make sure you earn more Prestige than the money-hungry Tax Collectors.