Utopia - Boardgame Review

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Designer: Arnaud Urbon & Ludovic Vialla
Publisher: Rio Grande Games
Players: 2-5
Time: 60-75 minutes
Price: $59.95

Utopia created quite a buzz on BoardgameGeek after it premiered at the Essen game convention last year, and the first pictures posted on the website stirred most collectors into a frenzy. Yes, I was one of those drooling imbeciles eager to get my hands on it. However, I'd resigned myself to the fact that it would be several months before it was released here in the States.

By my calculations, it arrived at least 3 months early, but I ain't complaining!

IN THE BOX:

• Large game board
  40 Monument figurines
  4 wonder figurines
  40 tile bases
  5 minister figurines
  200 prince tokens
  40 guest tokens
  10 privilege tokens
  5 rule summary cards
  50 action cards
  1 cloth bag
  Rules book

Those that know me best also know what a sucker I am for a good-looking game. It could have only so-so play, but if it looks fantastic on the table, I'll enjoy it all the more. Utopia delivers that in spades.
I'll start with the board. To put it simply, it's big. Oh yeah, I'm always impressed when a game takes up most of the table it's played on.
Of course, when you see the size of the box, how could it not be?
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It's a bright and colorful depiction of the island of Utopia, with little wasted space. If you take a closer look, you'll see that the island is divided into four sections and each one has its own color to set it apart. Each island is also divided into seperate districts, each with a value of 1-4. The score track runs along the outer edge, numbered 1 to 49, with a large space with the game's name as both the starting and endgame spot. On the left side of the board is the prestige scale, with spaces numbered 1-5 and the King's grinning mug. More on that in the Setup section.
The monuments in the game are incredible recreations of structures from the civilization they represent. There are five, and I doubt anyone could see these pieces and not be amazed.
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Monuments shown with concept art - Persian, Chinese, Greek, Mayan, Egyptian.

The prince tokens are depictions of the five princes in the game (actually, four princes and one princess), and are made of good quality cardboard. They should stand up to many repeat plays.
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There are 40 of these tokens in color, as well as two octagonal prestige tokens in each color with the King's grinning mug on them.
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The 40 guest tokens are slightly larger than the player tokens. They come in four colors to match the different areas of the island.
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The four wonders are just as detailed as the monuments, but slightly larger. They are also molded in off-white to set them apart from the cream-colored monuments.
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The minister figures are molded in five colors, and are uniquely different, even if they don't always match what's on the back of the box.
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Finally, the deck of cards are nothing more than wonderfully rendered portraits of each of the royals visiting Utopia.
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Notice that in the upper right of each card it shows the monument that matches that civilzation. This will be important later in the game.

Okay, I believe the question of value for dollar has been answered. At $60, this is one of the pricier games, but how can you argue with the quality of the production? You can't! The amount of detail and craftsmanship that went into this game is nothing short of amazing. In fact, I'm a little surprised that's it's not more expensive.

Now, how about the game itself?

THEME:
For millenia, our beautiful Utopia has shone as a beacon of splendor throughout the world. Alas, today, extraordinary cities are blossoming from within the capitals of proud and powerful civilizations, rivaling our own. I have a plan...
I have invited within our walls Greek, Egyptian, Chinese, Mayan and Persian princes for a competition. Their best architects, natural rivals, have been challenged to build their most beautiful edifices in order to prove the artisitic superiority of their cultures.
I ask you, my dear ministers, to welcome our guests with the respect due to their ranks. Escort them throughout the island of Utopia, and let them get to work restoring our splendor. Thanks to them and their 'eager' natures, our island will again become the world reference of prestige and beauty for millenia to come.
His Majesty Gaamott III, king of Utopia.

You are one of the ministers of Utopia in this game of strategy. You will have your diplomatic hands full welcoming and escorting the invited princes. Let them build the most prestigious monuments! Erect fabulous wonders! The rules to Utopia are simple to learn, but the strategies are numerous. Protocol rules the game! Prepare yourself for a fantastic voyage to the incredible coasts of Utopia!

SETTING UP:
Why is it that the first thing every rulebook says is to put the board on the table? Are there people dumb enough to do otherwise? Geez...
Each player selects a color and takes all the prince tokens, prestige tokens, tile bases and a minister of that color. Randomly select a starting player and the turn order by drawing the minister figures and place them on the Utopia space on the board.

One of each of the monuments are randomly placed on the 5 spots under King Gammott. The spaces are numbered 1 - 5, and placement will be important later in the game.
The 40 guest tokens are placed into the cloth bag and given a good shake or stir. Now you're ready to play!

GAME PLAY:
The starting player draws guest tokens from the bag, three for each player. The tokens are placed next to the island they match in color and symbol. What's interesting here is that with the draws so randomized, you can never really plan on what might come up.
Again, the starting player begins by selecting one of the guest tokens. They then place one of their prince tokens in any of the districts on the island.
Where you place your token can be vital to how well you score at the end of each round. In order to build a monument, you need three of one prince in the same district. You can then remove those tokens from the board and build a matching monument in that district, placing one of your tile bases under it to show who has control there.
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Four players have built monuments. Yellow needs only to add an Egyptian token to build that monument. Black only needs one Mayan token to also build.

Alternatively, having one of each prince on the island allows a player to build a wonder, which is placed in the center of that area. Building a wonder gives you control over that section of Utopia, and scores 6 points. As there are only four wonders, in a five-player game someone may not get one built. Controlling a wonder is where players score moderate points, as each monument built on that section of the island later scores the wonder's owner the value of the district (1-4).
Once built, a monument or wonder never changes ownership.
(There is an optional 'surprise guest' play available, but I've never seen it used).

When all the guest tokens have been taken (and any monuments built), the card actions phase begins. Players are dealt five cards each from the deck. the starting player discards 2, while the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th players discard one. The player that went last keeps all 5.
In order, players use the cards to change things on the board if they wish, or they can pass and keep the cards until the next turn. However, you may never keep more than five cards at the end of any turn. The actions that can be taken are...

• Play 3 identical cards to place a matching prince anywhere on the board.
  Play a card to move two princes from the same district to an adjacent district on the same island, or from one island to another provided there is a bridge to cross, or a boat dock at each location. You may never cross over more than one of the white dividing lines (see board pic above).
  Play a card to place a prince next to any matching monument on the board. The owner of the monument gains 1 point.
  Play a card to remove a matching prince token from the board so long as it is next its matching monument. The owner of the token gains 2 points each time this is done.
  Play a card to move a monument on the prestige scale up one space. The monument it replaces drops one spot.
  Play two cards to move any monument on the prestige scale to the lowest space. All other monumentas shift up.

Each player takes as many actions as they wish using what cards they have available. When the last player has finished, any monuments on the board are scored. Each monument scores points according to its place on the prestige scale, from 1-5 points. Players then adjust their position on the score track.
Whoever has the highest score becomes the starting player, and actions are taken according to scores. If two players are tied, whoever reached the space first is considered 'ahead.'
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A game in progress. If you look at the prestige track, the Persian monuments will score 5 points, the Chinese will score 4, and the Greek will score 3.

It will be unusual for any player to score on the first turn, meaning everyone will tie. In this case the player who acted first has their figure moved to the end of the line, and the player who had been second becomes the starting player.

The game ends when any player scores 50 or more points. The turn is played out, allowing all players to finish the turn. Whoever has the highest score wins. Again, if two players score the highest, whichever player reached the space first is the winner.

PROS- This has has to be one of the most gorgeous games in my (or anyone else's), library. I think I've raved about the components enough to convince anyone, and if not, just look at the pictures. This is an eye-catcher, and you'll love how the board looks as monuments are built.
The game seems complex, but it's surprisingly easy to learn and play. While I won't call the mechanics revolutionary or totally unique, they are different enough to keep the game interesting. There are several strategies that can be tried, and all can lead to victory.
Once all players have the rules down, the game is surprisingly fast. Our first game took about 90 minutes, but now we rarely hit the one hour mark.

CONS- The rulebook could use a good rewrite. It's not structured well, and can lead to confusion if you're trying to learn the game by reading them. It's better to have someone teach you the game, but it can be done otherwise with a little perseverance.
Like a lot of similar area-control games, this one can suffer from the 'runaway leader' factor. A player can feasibly get so far ahead they outrun everyone and never look back. There's also a definite advantage to being the last acting player. In that position you can survey the board and see how everyone is going to score and adjust the prestige scale however you can. This will certainly make you a target later on, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Those are really the only complaints I can find about the game.

CONCLUSION- I was wowed when I first saw the pictures of the game, and I'm wowed even more after playing it. It certainly is a beautiful game, and it's a lot of fun to play. Yes, it can be frustrating when a planned play doesn't pan out, but working around a setback is part of the challenge, and makes the game even more entertaining.
This has become a popular staple of my Friday night group, and usually gets at least two plays, and more than a few spectators watching and commenting.

On a 1-10 scale, I rate Utopia a solid 9. It's on the way to becoming one of the big hits of 2008, and deservedly so. Get in on the fun, and yourself a copy today!

Great review.