Akropolis, released in 2022, was the first gateway game I discovered during my exploration of modern board gaming. Like many great gateway titles, it combines simplicity with strategic choices. The tactile nature of the tiles and the opportunity to build your own kingdom in the Mediterranean make it a fun theme to get anyone lost in a daydream.
Pentagons: Haven’t They Been Done Before?
When I first saw the pentagon shapes of each cluster of tiles, I was reminded of the video classic Civilisation. While Akropolis isn’t a sprawling 4X game, it does capture that satisfying feeling of building something from the ground up. In this game, you’re cast as a city builder, competing against fellow players to accumulate the most points by cleverly placing tiles in specific combinations.
In our full review, we explain the rules, but here’s a quick rundown:
Players take turns drafting and placing three-hex tiles, which represent various types of buildings, including houses, markets, temples, barracks, and parks. The white quarries, while they don’t contribute to scoring, play a crucial role in enabling vertical building. Elevating structures heightens your potential for scoring, adding an interesting layer of strategy.
Each building type scores points based on its associated coloured plaza. For example, barracks excel when positioned on the city’s perimeter, whereas houses thrive beside one another. Plaza stars are summed together and multiplied by the level of the same coloured building (with level 3 being the maximum). To illustrate, if you secure 15 houses and have three plazas, you would earn a whopping 45 points. Conversely, if you manage to gather 5 markets with two plazas (each worth 2 points), you would score 20 points.
At first glance, the notion of arranging cardboard tiles into specific combinations to maximise points may sound tedious, but Akropolis delivers an engaging gameplay experience. It includes several variants that enhance the game’s appeal for seasoned players, along with options to incorporate additional tiles for smaller player counts, thus extending the length of play.
Despite its straightforward rules, Akropolis offers surprisingly rich tactical decisions. Should you concentrate on stacking buildings for vertical scoring, or diversify your strategy to acquire more of a single type?
Like many abstract games with a tile or placement element, Akropolis offers players various ways to play. Some players can specialise in certain colours or building types. For instance, houses are the most common but have the lowest multiplier, while parks are much less available but can score three times as much! Perhaps a more rounded approach will be in your favour, as luck with the displayed tiles could play a part.
Come and See a World of Imagination!
When I received Akropolis as a birthday present, the shrink wrapping was torn, and the rulebook was suitably understood. A friend popped round to say hello and was invited in to play a 3-player game with us. It was a moment I’ve still not lived down, even though I was defeated by all those around me. However, this loss didn’t put me off – it made me realise that this game had more than meets the eye.
It still brings a smile to my face, not only because of the memories it evokes, but also the new landscapes I can create. The blank canvas nature of the plain quarries gives a feeling of incompleteness, but as you fill your city with more life and colour, it soon begins to take shape.
Perfect For Families and New Gamers
I wholeheartedly recommend Akropolis for families and newcomers to the hobby. Its simple theme and engaging mechanics make it a delightful after-dinner activity, while the easily digestible rules cater well to those unfamiliar with board games. Families with children aged 7 or 8 and older are likely to find lasting enjoyment in this game. The randomised nature of the displayed tiles ensures that no player can dominate effortlessly.
Another notable gameplay aspect I must highlight is the cubes earned from building over the quarries. These cubes enhance your strategic choices by allowing you to select different tiles from the display. For instance, in a two-player game, four tiles are presented. If you don’t have any cubes, you must pick the first tile on the left. However, with one stone, you gain the flexibility to choose between the first or second tile, and this option extends with increasing costs for each step in the display. The more stones you possess, the more choices you gain access to, adding further layers of strategy to each turn.
Akropolis stands out not just as a delightful game but as a gateway into the captivating world of board gaming, offering endless possibilities for creativity and strategic innovation.
