The Golden City

Spread shops along island roads from the coast to the Golden City and bid for its best trading contracts.

Designer: Michael Schacht
Published by: Editrice Giochi
Editions by: Z-Man Games, KOSMOS, Galakta, Piatnik

Adventurers have landed on an island with a golden city at its heart. You open your first shop right on the coast, then spread along the street connections to villages, gathering goods, keys, money and concessions on the way. Each of them lets you do more, and the real prize is establishing yourself in the Golden City itself, where the most valuable trading contracts wait. The Golden City, from 2009, is a route-building and area-majority Euro with bidding, played at a calm hour for three or four players. It is the first game of the Gold Trilogy, followed by Valdora and Felinia, and it picked up recommendations as a family strategy game.

Shops along street connectionsGoods, keys, money and concessionsFirst game of the Gold Trilogy

Who it's for

You like route-building Euros with a bit of bidding and want a compact one-hour game for three or four.

Not for you if…

You want heavy strategy or a flashy theme. It is a mid-weight route-building game, and it only works with three or four.

Vibe's take

Steady and thoughtful. You always see where your road is heading, and the tension comes from rivals reaching the same village a turn earlier.