Game Profile: Rialto

Travel back to renaissance Venice and become the most influential nobleman.

Mechanics Card Drafting, Area Control
Theme Venice
Publication Tasty Minstrel Games, 2013
Ages 10+
Time 45-60
Players 2-5
Description

Rialto is a light strategy game from game designer, Stefan Feld.  Light in that the game plays in less
time than most Feld games.  It does not
mean that there are not many interesting decisions to be made.  The game is an area control game set in renaissance
Venice with its bridges and gondolas playing a significant role.
The object of the game
is to score more points than everyone else. 
Most of the points are awarded at the end of the game, calculated by who
has the most councilmen in each of the 6 districts on the game board.  Additional points are awarded for buildings
constructed on each player’s individual game board.  Lessor points are accumulated during each
round for playing certain cards and activating certain buildings.
The game is played over
6 rounds with each round featuring a section of the city up for grabs.  Each round begins with players each drafting
a hand of 6 face-up cards and 2 face-down cards from the draw pile.  Then they discard down to 7 cards that they
will play during the round.  There are 6 types
of action cards plus a set of joker cards. 
The cards are played in order with everyone playing any number of their Doge
cards.  Play proceeds next to Gold cards,
then Building cards, then Bridge cards, then Gondola cards, and finally to Councilman
cards.  Each set of cards played allows
the player to take a necessary action. 
The player who plays the most cards of a type always gets a bonus.

There are 12 different
buildings in one of 3 colors available to the players.  Building cards are how players obtain the buildings.  To activate a building cost 1 gold coin.  Green buildings affect card selection.  Yellow buildings affect card play. Blue
buildings affect other buildings and can score points at the end of each round.

There is too much detail
to go in to the effect of e
ach card or each building.  Rialto is a game where the genius of Stefan Feld
really comes through.  Players never have
enough cards, buildings or turns t get done what needs to be done.  It simply must be played again and again.
We
have an open copy of 
Rialto available
in our Demo Games Library for you come in and try.
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