Crisis

Run an industrial empire in a country in crisis: invest, speculate and decide how much to sacrifice for the common good.

Designers: Sotirios Tsantilas, Pantelis Bouboulis
Published by: LudiCreations
Editions by: Geek Attitude Games

Crisis is set in Axia, a country with a glorious past, a shaky present and a more unpredictable future: the longest recession in its modern history, deep inequality and a political system on the edge. You and your fellow industrialists are sent to help, and maybe to profit. It is a heavy economic game for one to five, built around worker placement with different worker types, an action queue, a commodity market, investment, loans and events. It is semi-cooperative: sacrificing short-term gain for a brighter future helps everyone, but only one of you wins. About two hours, and see opportunity where others see crisis.

Semi-cooperative economic tensionAction queue plus worker placementLoans, markets and speculation

Who it's for

You enjoy heavier economic games and semi-cooperative dilemmas, with a group that likes planning and talking about the common good versus personal gain.

Not for you if…

You want a light, quick game or you dislike open-ended negotiation about shared risk. It is long and demands attention.

Vibe's take

Weighty and tense. You queue actions, gamble on commodities, and watch the country wobble while debating whether to save it or squeeze it. Heavy on planning, with a conscience built in.