Stonemaier Games Viticulture Essential Edition Board Game, for 156 months to 9600 months

We really like worker placement games. Viticulture gives such great choices and just the right amount of brain burn. So many things to plan ahead for. And so rewarding when your plan pans out.

I can’t recommend this game enough. The development and execution of the wine-making theme is so well done. The amount of options and interactivity sometimes limiting those options elevates the experience and requires strategy shifts throughout.

Even though I didnt win, its still a challenging strategy game.

Got the game for my sister and we played it without anybody in the group knowing what it was. Which was a mistake. Definitely research how to play a game before actually trying to play it, the instructions are confusing. After the first game everything made sense and it was much more enjoyable and quicker. Now everybody loves the game

Have played twice and really enjoy the game. Love the glass pieces.

This fun game is aesthetically pleasing and has great tactile components. There are lots of fun variables that make the game replayable. Our family enjoys it very much! 

Viticulture is a clever worker placement game that tasks players with managing their own vinyard to make and sell wine. If youre unfamiliar with worker placement games, the main mechanic involves placing your meeples (in this case vineyard workers) at various locations on the game board that give you different abilities, from gaining new grapevines to bottling and selling your wine to receiving guests. However, space at each location is limited, so you must shrewdly prioritize the actions you want to perform lest your opponents take up the spots before you. Im a big fan of worker placement games, and Viticulture didnt disappoint, in large part due to its well-implemented and wholly unique theme.

When Viticulture first came out several years ago, I almost bought a copy for my oldest son (a casual gamer) who has worked at vineyards. Almost. I had read and watched reviews that pointed out flaws in the game. One caveat sticks in my head all this time later: a warning that certain cards were powerful enough to tilt the game in one players favor with little chance after that of other players gaining enough ground to compete for the win. I never bought the game and, even when it comes out in my gaming circles, I had never sat at a table and played it. If there were concerns before, I cant see anything to be concerned about in the Essential edition of the game. As I understand it, this edition combines some subtle-but-effective changes in the wordings of some cards (forcing players to choose between two possible advantages instead of allowing both) and some of the best features of the games Tuscany expansion. Whatever the designers have done, it works. If you sit down with casual gamers, they may - at first - be a bit overwhelmed by the busy board; but, the game is not as complex as it may - at first - seem. This aint no simple walk in the park; but, youre only dealing with half the board (at most) at any given time. The game is played as a series of seasons for as many years as it takes someone to earn la mere 20 victory points. In spring, perform upkeep (from the previous year) and determine player order for this year; in summer, buy and plant vines or buildings or give tours or play experts for advantages; in fall, draw expert cards to be used in summer or winter; in winter produce or sell wine or play winter visitors for certain advantages. Then, its spring and the cycle begins again. Most victory points are made by selling finished wines based upon cards that youve drawn indicating what folks are buying and being able to grow and harvest the right kinds of grapes to produce the right kinds of wines which the market will buy. The wrench in the works is that there are only so many opportunities to perform each action during summer and winter. Be strategic in vying for player position in the spring. Becoming first player is it own reward; youll be able to grab up the prime action spots. But, allowing yourself a third or fourth place player position may come with an extra resource or an extra visitor card at no expense. This is another one of these games (like Iellos Happy Pigs) where there are limited action options; so, there shouldnt be too much to think about. But, be aware, that if youre sitting down with anyone who has never played the game before, there will be some analysis paralysis in a first game in which the decision between those few choices may - at first - seem overwhelming.

Beautiful game, lots of things to do and many strategies to follow. We play it mainly as a two player game and we have a lot of fun.

This is a very solid medium-weight euro-game, with worker placement. The board role selection is tight enough to feel tension, but there are enough options that you can always do productive stuff. Honestly there is a bit too much luck involved to be a perfect game, but its no more swing-y than other popular games.