Despite resembling a tin of mints and possessing the word ‘Mint’ in the title, I was surprised to discover that nothing inside the Mint Works box proved edible. Not to worry, it turned out to be a rather cutesy worker placement game, where the workers are… mints!
I’m a huge fan of portable games, so in true geek fashion, I measured the tin. If that hasn’t immediately drawn an eye roll and a sigh of indifference, then you may be interested to know that the dimensions are a diminutive 9.5 cm x 6 cm x 3 cm. Teeny-tiny enough to fit in your pocket. Components are minimal, comprising a rules sheet, some cards, a starting player token, and the mints.
Despite resembling a tin of mints and possessing the word ‘Mint’ in the title, I was surprised to discover that nothing inside the Mint Works box proved edible. Not to worry, it turned out to be a rather cutesy worker placement game, where the workers are… mints!
I’m a huge fan of portable games, so in true geek fashion, I measured the tin. If that hasn’t immediately drawn an eye roll and a sigh of indifference, then you may be interested to know that the dimensions are a diminutive 9.5 cm x 6 cm x 3 cm. Teeny-tiny enough to fit in your pocket. Components are minimal, comprising a rules sheet, some cards, a starting player token, and the mints.
Gameplay
Mint Works plays quick, with a 15-minute run time. The overarching concept is straightforward to grasp. Place your workers in Locations, buy Plans, and turn them into Buildings to score points. Don’t be fooled by the ease of learning, though – there’s enough complexity to make skill a deciding factor.
In the Development phase, you’ll take it in turns to place a worker mint onto one of the Location cards, continuing until each player has either run out, or elected to pass. There is no obligation to place all your mints; indeed, it can often be beneficial to stockpile for a future round.
After the Development Phase is complete, we move to Upkeep. Some of the buildings displayed in your Neighbourhood (player space) will earn you Upkeep,Mint Works’ thematic name for income. This typically arrives in the form of mints, which will increase the number of workers available to place on your next turn.
Most Buildings are worth points, denoted by the stars at the bottom of the card. As soon as one player has seven points on show, play stops at the end of that round and final points are tallied. It is by no means guaranteed that the person who first displays seven stars will win; new Buildings can be put in play before the round is out, or a player may have points multipliers that increase their face value total.
Plans
During Development, three Plans are available for purchase. These are only replenished at the start of the Upkeep phase, rather than after someone has bought them. Mint Works’ Plans comprise four factions – Culture, Production, Utility and Deed, each providing the owner a benefit once built, in addition to their points value. Production cards furnish you with Upkeep, Utility gives discounts and multipliers, while Culture offers no advantage other than points – but at a cheaper price. The cost varies between one and five mints, with a further two required to turn it into a Building. The two Deed Buildings – Lotto and Wholesaler – open up a new Location when built. Anyone can place a worker there, with the owner gaining Upkeep if the space is occupied.
Plans remain face down in your Neighbourhood until you build them, which is when you start to earn your benefits. Unless you constructed a Building that specifically says you do, Plans don’t score end game points either.
Locations
Spaces on Mint Works Location cards are limited – between one and three – depending on player count. In the early rounds, you’ll find it fairly equitable as not everybody will have enough mints to purchase a Plan or turn it into a Building. When your Upkeep starts to kick in, it becomes more competitive as you start vying to put your worker mints on those limited Supplier and Builder Locations.
Placement benefits are as follows:
Core locations (always in play)
· Producer – pay one mint to gain two
· Leadership Council – pay one mint to gain one, plus the first player token for the next round
· Supplier – gain a plan from the Plan Supply at the cost shown on the card
· Builder – pay two mints to build a Plan
Deed locations (in play once the corresponding Plan is built)
· Lotto – pay three mints to gain the top plan from the deck
· Wholesaler – pay one mint to gain two
Advanced locations (any two at random; optional)
· Crowdfunder – pay one mint to gain three; all other plays gain one
· Recycler – lose a Plan or Building from your Neighbourhood in exchange for mints
· Swap Meet – swap a Plan or Building in your Neighbourhood for a Plan from the Supply
· Temp Agency – use another location even if occupied
Tactics
Like any game with an engine, albeit a mintily minuscule one, Mint Works offers you the option to invest in an expensive purchase to reap the rewards later. The Plans that cost more offer a substantial benefit. Examples include automatically turning Plans into Buildings, or gaining a shedload of mints during the Upkeep phase. I often find that by the time I’ve managed to afford to buy and build one of the more powerful Plans, someone else has bought cheaper ones and racked up enough points to be on the way to winning. That said, stockpiling your mints for the expensive cards is a tactic worth considering if opponents are doing the same, or if the Crowdfunder is in play.
With limited worker spaces, obtaining the first player token not only grants you first dibs, but can allow you to force your opponent(s) into a tough choice, especially in a two or three player game where Supplier and Builder spots are limited to two. Planning out your next turn as well as the one you’re in will allow you to factor in when to nab this.
Final Thoughts
The designer describes Mint Works as ‘Minty Fresh’. I am inclined to agree. The game offers the worker placement and engine building mechanics of more complicated games, but condenses it into a punchier package. The speed of play is a major boom, and I like the fact the Locations are double-sided to account for different player counts.
The skill of the game lies in deciding the type of cards to purchase, where to place your workers and when, and keeping an eye on others’ Neighbourhoods so you can block their preferred action. There is plenty of player interaction, and you’ll regularly curse at the person placing their mint where you wanted to put yours. In a good way; the game is over so quickly, you’ll have an immediate chance for revenge.
A light-hearted and short game that proves surprisingly competitive, Mint Works proves breath-restoringly fresh.
