Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King

Love the game and was pleased with delivery

This game immediately became our weeknight favorite. Isle of Skye has these merits: 1) Very brief rules and clear iconography. 2) Provides a visceral satisfaction when tiles fit together to form the landscape 3) Interesting economic puzzle providing a pleasing amount of interaction.

Isle of Skye is a great game. Fun bidding mechanism, tile placement and tons of replayability due to the different scoring tiles that can be changed each game.

I bought this game because I usually try to acquire the Spiel and Kennerspiel title each year. This being the Kennerspiel winner, I bought it expecting an accessible, very light game that would have broad appeal to non-gamers. What I found was an nearly infinitely replayable game with deep decision-making. What I like most about the game is that all the decisions are far more interwoven than one would expect. The key decisions in the game are (1) which tile to discard, (2) how much to bid on your own tiles based on what you need and what you think you can force your opponents to pay, (3) making sure that the tiles you are buying can be placed in your clan's territory, and (4) *how* to place those tiles so that they both leave room for later purchases as well as maximizing your victory points but still constitute valid tile placement. What is a very simple game rules-wise can be a series of tough decisions as you have to balance many things at once. This game is highly recommended (5 out of 5) for experienced euro-gamers who like having to estimate valuation and enjoy some limited player interaction with tough decisions. I was actually surprised that this title won the Kennerspiel only because the level and types of decisions and the variable scoring rounds would make this game a hard one to learn without prior gaming experience - but I would not hesitate to bring this out with new gamers -- it just isn't a "simple" game. What follows are my reasons for my rating: Game Play: 4/5 - It's not a game I want to play over and over and over, but it is a game that plays in the time limits as advertised and makes for some very difficult decisions. While each phase of the round is straight-forward and simple, digesting the many options available and how to navigate the phase and fully recognize the implications of the tiles available and what your opponents are doing provide lots of analysis outside your turn so that you don't really feel like you have much down time. Coupling this with only 4 out of approximately two dozen scoring tiles in play, the way they interact can give a very different style of game from play to play and change the value of tiles. Quality: 4/5 - Only dinged a point because they really should have included a cloth bag for the scoring tiles, as well. Also - each terrain tile has a lot going on with lots of small icons. Slightly larger tiles might have been better. Everything else from art to component sturdiness, to design and layout, iconography, etc., is very well done. Price: 5/5 - For the quality of components, amount of replayability in this box, the level of decisions you are making, and the reasonable play time, this game is a great price for the hours and hours of gaming inside. Value: 4/5 - As with price, the value on this game shares many of the same characteristics. The game's value in the sense of "how much time on my table will people want to spend compared to other options out there" - I would say this game will hit your table when you want an 60-90 minute game. You'll probably only play it once in a game night unless it is a hit with your particular group, but it can hit the table over and over again as an easy go-to. If you have players who like having to estimate component values (how much is *this tile* worth in *this game*), they are going to love it. Of course, if you have one gamer that excels at these types of games, well, the other players will still have fun building their clan's territory. The game also has a built-in catch-up mechanic so that lagging players have plenty of opportunity to catch up -- or even save their money for victory points at the end of the game. Overall, I have to say that I expected a light, intro-level grade school kids' game. What I got was a game that was both deep, interesting, fast-playing, and could satisfy tweens as well as experienced gamers with nearly unlimited replayability. Buy this game -- it has a place in your collection somewhere.

I bought this game because I usually try to acquire the Spiel and Kennerspiel title each year. This being the Kennerspiel winner, I bought it expecting an accessible, very light game that would have broad appeal to non-gamers. What I found was an nearly infinitely replayable game with deep decision-making. What I like most about the game is that all the decisions are far more interwoven than one would expect. The key decisions in the game are (1) which tile to discard, (2) how much to bid on your own tiles based on what you need and what you think you can force your opponents to pay, (3) making sure that the tiles you are buying can be placed in your clan's territory, and (4) *how* to place those tiles so that they both leave room for later purchases as well as maximizing your victory points but still constitute valid tile placement. What is a very simple game rules-wise can be a series of tough decisions as you have to balance many things at once. This game is highly recommended (5 out of 5) for experienced euro-gamers who like having to estimate valuation and enjoy some limited player interaction with tough decisions. I was actually surprised that this title won the Kennerspiel only because the level and types of decisions and the variable scoring rounds would make this game a hard one to learn without prior gaming experience - but I would not hesitate to bring this out with new gamers -- it just isn't a simple game. What follows are my reasons for my rating: Game Play: 4/5 - It's not a game I want to play over and over and over, but it is a game that plays in the time limits as advertised and makes for some very difficult decisions. While each phase of the round is straight-forward and simple, digesting the many options available and how to navigate the phase and fully recognize the implications of the tiles available and what your opponents are doing provide lots of analysis outside your turn so that you don't really feel like you have much down time. Coupling this with only 4 out of approximately two dozen scoring tiles in play, the way they interact can give a very different style of game from play to play and change the value of tiles. Quality: 4/5 - Only dinged a point because they really should have included a cloth bag for the scoring tiles, as well. Also - each terrain tile has a lot going on with lots of small icons. Slightly larger tiles might have been better. Everything else from art to component sturdiness, to design and layout, iconography, etc., is very well done. Price: 5/5 - For the quality of components, amount of replayability in this box, the level of decisions you are making, and the reasonable play time, this game is a great price for the hours and hours of gaming inside. Value: 4/5 - As with price, the value on this game shares many of the same characteristics. The game's value in the sense of how much time on my table will people want to spend compared to other options out there - I would say this game will hit your table when you want an 60-90 minute game. You'll probably only play it once in a game night unless it is a hit with your particular group, but it can hit the table over and over again as an easy go-to. If you have players who like having to estimate component values (how much is *this tile* worth in *this game*), they are going to love it. Of course, if you have one gamer that excels at these types of games, well, the other players will still have fun building their clan's territory. The game also has a built-in catch-up mechanic so that lagging players have plenty of opportunity to catch up -- or even save their money for victory points at the end of the game. Overall, I have to say that I expected a light, intro-level grade school kids' game. What I got was a game that was both deep, interesting, fast-playing, and could satisfy tweens as well as experienced gamers with nearly unlimited replayability. Buy this game -- it has a place in your collection somewhere.

Played this at BGG and really liked it. Auction mechanic with tile laying. Reminded me a bit of Mad King Ludwig.

Played this at BGG and really liked it. Auction mechanic with tile laying. Reminded me a bit of Mad King Ludwig.

I bought this game after watching a video review and run through. I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised. It is a tile laying game in the wheel house of Carcassonne except each player is building their own creation. The huge differences is that there is a auction mechanic and individual round scoring. It makes the game a lot of fun and I am sure glad I decided to buy this one.

I bought this game after watching a video review and run through. I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised. It is a tile laying game in the wheel house of Carcassonne except each player is building their own creation. The huge differences is that there is a auction mechanic and individual round scoring. It makes the game a lot of fun and I am sure glad I decided to buy this one.

This game has a tile laying mechanic very much like carcassonne. However it also has a bidding and buying mechanic that provides a much higher level of player to player interaction. It is a lot of fun.