Cascadero

The kingdom is torn apart. Its towns no longer trust one another and the people live past each other. The newly crowned ruler, El Cascadero, wants to bring the land back together, but he cannot do it alone. So he sends out four ministers to visit the people and restore the peace. Each minister has their own task: farming, crafting, mining or markets. And El Cascadero? He keeps careful track of their successes in his book. In Cascadero you place tiles to send your envoys to the towns. But a single envoy earns no trust. Only when your envoy joins a group or carries a seal from El Cascadero himself will a town come alive and score points. Towns that were visited before, or that have a royal messenger standing nearby, are worth even more. There the people gladly work with you for a greater success. The big choice: do you build long chains of envoys to reach bonuses and goals, or place smaller groups to score at just the right moment? Both bring rewards, but your points only count if you also reach the end of your assigned column. With good timing and a bit of nerve, you can set off a string of bonuses that sends the whole game rolling your way. This strategy game by top designer Reiner Knizia plays differently every time, thanks to changing boards, tiles and an extra challenge for experienced players.