Post originally by Shannon Appelcline at 2004-04-28 10:27:38
Converted from Phorums BB System

<i>I thought it was interesting that you acknowledged Alhambra's similarities to Carcassone, but chose not to compare them for quality. Is that because Alhambra is too much simpler than Carcassone for direct comparison? </i>

Yes, or rather because the tile-laying <i>aspect</i> of Alhambra is so much simpler.

In Carcassonne, the core of the gameplay is building certain structures, and each draw hoping that you'll be able to complete those structures for points.

In Alhambra, the core of the gameplay is a game of brinkmanship, where you're trying to gather exact change, but to purchase tiles before they're taken by other players.

Carcassonne really is about the tile-laying, while for Alhambra it's just a fun adjunct that will appeal to players who like games such as Carcassonne.

<i>On a vaguely-related note, I've been reviewing your reviews to see if I should add any of these to my birthday wishlist. Bohnanza is going on my list, as Apples to Apples is a favorite game of most of the players I know. I might try Alhambra too, as it sounds like a good introductory game to this sub-genre (which would be called what? They look like board games crossed with dominoes...). </I>

I'd called them "tile-laying" games, and more specifically "edge-matching tile-laying" games. I think Carcassonne is the best introduction, but if you've already got that, Alhambra isn't bad. I think it's more sophisticated in some ways, because the purchase system requires some long-term thinking. However, it's also been enjoyed by all the players I've played it with, casual and serious alike.

My wife keeps bringing it out, and our other friends enjoyed it too. My only caveat is if you're expecting to generally play with 5-6 players, which I mention in the review.

Oh, and for fun for your birthday list, here's everything I rated a perfect 10:
http://www.rpg.net/reviews/search-review.phtml?ratingsTotal=10&reviewerName=Appelcline

Out of that I'd particularly suggest looking at "Ticket to Ride" to see if it appeals.

Shannon