Hugh J. O'Donnell

Hugh Likes Tabletop Games: Villages of Valeria

Villages of Valeria
Designed by Rick Holzgrafe and Isaias Vallejo
Art by Mihajlo Dimitrievski
Published by Daily Magic Games

The Skinny – A richly illustrated, strategic Tableau building card game that is quick to learn and fast paced.

Villages of Valeria is a great little card game. Players each take the role of a Duke, competing to make their town the capital of a fantasy kingdom. Using hands of cards drawn from a central area, players gain resources, build up their towns, and recruit a variety of citizens, from butchers to arch-mages in order to have the best town.
The game is easy to learn and strategic without being overly complicated. It is played with one to five players, even including a solitaire variant. A more open take on deck building games like Dominion, players build their towns up in the open, so everyone can see what everybody else has. The really interesting mechanic, though, is follow actions. Each turn, one player decides what action they are going to take, such as building by playing a card or paying cards to gain more resources. The trick is, after that player goes, his opponents can follow up with the same action. There is usually a benefit to going first, such as a cheaper cost or a better reward, but this still adds a nice layer to the gameplay, and you have to consider your opponents’ potential action as well as your own. This also keeps the gameplay fast paced, involving players even when it isn’t their turn. A typical game usually only lasts about 20-25 minutes.
The art on the cards is also great, with a nice use of the fantasy theme, including five gorgeous player staring cards of castles in different seasons.
Villages of Valeria is a quick, fun strategy card game that doesn’t require a PHD to play, with exciting fantasy art. You can find it online at dailymagicgames.com, or ask for it at your local game store!