Toledo

Send helpers through Renaissance Toledo to buy steel, forge swords and deliver them to the Alcazar.

Designer: Martin Wallace
Published by: Devir
Editions by: Mayfair Games, Kaissa Chess & Games, KOSMOS, Lautapelit.fi, Ubik, Stupor Mundi, Sophisticated Games

In Toledo you are a swordsmith's patron in the Spanish city famous for its blades. You send your five helpers out on the streets to buy steel and jewels from dealers, get swords made by the best armorer in town, and then deliver them to the Alcazar fortress. Along the way you refuel cards at two taverns and can browse the works of the painter El Greco. It is a worker-placement game with a map: where your helpers stand, in what order, and who they bump into is the whole puzzle. A 2008 Renaissance workshop for two to four, around an hour. Bring a taste for planning your routes.

Five helpers walking Toledo's streetsSteel, jewels and swords to deliver to the AlcazarTaverns for new cards, plus El Greco's art

Who it's for

You like worker placement with a map to think about and a supply chain from material to finished product.

Not for you if…

You want a lot of table talk or a quick game. This is a planning-heavy euro.

Vibe's take

Methodical and puzzly, with a quiet bit of racing. You are always asking which street to take, which dealer to visit and whether a rival is about to take your spot.