Boonlake is a strategy game by designer Alexander Pfister whose other games include Great Western Trail, Maracaibo, Isle of Sky, and Mombasa. In Boonlake, you are pioneers settling an unexplored territory. On a central gameboard you will be placing landscape tiles and habitants in order to build houses and settlements, raising cattle, producing raw materials, and developing your infrastructure. Driving all of this is the action selection system. The speed of the game is determined by how fast players’ boats move down the river. – – 1 to 4 players – – 40 minutes per player game time
The object of the game is to score more points than the other pioneers. Points come from a variety of sources. The main source, and most important is from the 4 public scoring tiles revealed at the start of the game. These are chosen by the players. Each player gets to select 1 and discard 1 from their 2 randomly drawn tiles. Regardless of the number of players, there will always be 4 scoring tiles. In a 2 and 3-player game, the other slots will be filled by random draw. These are all 2-part public scoring goals. The top section depicts a special project that can be completed for points anytime during the game. The bottom section indicates conditions for interim and final scoring that escalate in difficulty over the 4 scoring rounds. Additional points come from cards purchased, houses and settlements built, plus cattle you have pastured throughout the settlements.
A player’s turn involves selecting an action tile from the 7 available on an action board. These actions will rotate to the bottom as they are selected. Choosing one from either of the 2 bottom slots will cost you victory points. Each tile gives the active player 2 actions, while providing 1 action for all players. The slot from which the tile was taken determines the maximum number of spaces you will move your boat along the river. Like almost every other action, when you place your boat on a location, you get a bonus. It seems like every action in the game triggers more resources or bonuses. The movement of boats is the game timer. When a boat passes a lock on the river it triggers a scoring round. When the fourth lock is passed it will trigger the last round and final scoring. Players will score final round points to determine the winner. This game puts a capital S on strategy!
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