Bruxelles 1897

Build, paint and schmooze your way through Art Nouveau Brussels in a card game version of Bruxelles 1893.

Designer: Etienne Espreman
Published by: Geek Attitude Games
Editions by: Galápagos Jogos, Kobold Spieleverlag, GDM Games, Light N Games Inc.

Brussels, 1897: Art Nouveau is taking over the streets and the World's Fair is about to open. You want your name in art history, so you build grand buildings, create, sell and exhibit works of art, and shake hands with the city's nobles. Bruxelles 1897 is the card game sibling of Bruxelles 1893: the same look and feel, with simpler rules that keep the depth. A game runs for four rounds, each with a variable number of turns, and the actions are cards laid out in four columns that your people compete for. If you know the board game, you will feel at home right away. If not, expect a worker-placement tussle with auctions and area majority on the side.

Action cards in four columns drive the turnBuild, create and exhibit art for prestigeSimplified take on Bruxelles 1893 in card form

Who it's for

You liked Bruxelles 1893 and want a smaller, simpler cousin, or you enjoy worker placement with a historical flavor.

Not for you if…

You want a lot of dice, luck or a light party feel. This is a medium-weight Euro with contested action spaces.

Vibe's take

A polite tussle for the best spots. You always want the same two action cards as your rivals, so the real game is timing and who gets squeezed out.