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Scythe box cover with design elements
First full retail copy of Scythe.
All final faction-specific tokens in Scythe (all versions).
final miniatures for the 5 characters (faction representatives) in Scythe
the final version of one of the objective cards in Scythe (art and worldbuilding by Jakub Rozalski)
Final Rusviet faction mat, full art and graphic design.
Dual-layered player mats are featured in every copy of Scythe.
Germanic faction - Scythe
Lacking a standard reference pear or cat, I opted to use my reference children to highlight the size of the large version of the Scythe board. Note: my son is 44" tall and daughters are each 20" in length.
Winged Hussars

Scythe (2016)

Players
1–5
Best: 4
Playing time
115–115 min
Age
14+
8.10
Average rating
94,464
Ratings
3.45/5
Weight
#27
BGG rank
Top 100
Alternate names:Sçythe +6 more
Designer:Jamey Stegmaier
Artist:Jakub Rozalski
Publisher:Arclight Games +19 more
Average rating, ratings count, weight and rank are sourced from BoardGameGeek (BGG).
Game DNA
  • This game: Strategy 9, Luck 5, Interaction 6, Complexity 6.9, Theme 6
Strategy9.0
Luck5.0
Interaction6.0
Complexity6.9
Theme6.0

This game's strategy, luck, interaction, complexity and theme.

Science FictionEconomicFightingTerritory BuildingVariable Player PowersHexagon GridArea Majority / InfluenceGrid MovementTake ThatSolo / Solitaire GameTech Trees / Tech TracksNarrative Choice / ParagraphCard Play Conflict ResolutionForce CommitmentVictory Points as a ResourceEnd Game BonusesKing of the HillVariable Set-upContractsMovement PointsZone of Control

Overview

It is a time of unrest in 1920s Europa. The ashes from the first great war still darken the snow. The capitalistic city-state known simply as “The Factory”, which fueled the war with heavily armored mechs, has closed its doors, drawing the attention of several nearby countries.

Scythe is an engine-building game set in a 1920s era, alternate-history. It is a time of farming and war, broken hearts and rusted gears, innovation and valor. In Scythe, each player controls one of five factions of Eastern Europe, all of which are attempting to earn their fortunes and claim their stakes in the land around the mysterious Factory. Players conquer territory, enlist new recruits, reap resources, gain villagers, build structures, and activate monstrous mechs.

Each player begins the game with different resources (power, coins, combat acumen, and popularity), a different starting location, and a hidden goal. Starting positions are specially calibrated to contribute to each faction’s uniqueness and the asymmetrical nature of the game (each faction always starts in the same place). Scythe uses a streamlined action-selection mechanism (no rounds or phases) to keep gameplay moving at a brisk pace and reduce downtime between turns. While there is plenty of direct conflict for players who seek it, there is no player elimination.

Scythe gives players almost complete control over their fate. Other than each player’s individual hidden objective card, the only elements of luck or variability are “encounter” cards that players will draw as they interact with the citizens of newly explored lands. Each encounter card provides the player with several options, allowing them to mitigate the luck of the draw through their selection. Combat is also driven by choices, not luck or randomness. Every part of Scythe has an aspect of engine-building to it. Players can upgrade actions to become more efficient, build structures that improve their position on the map, enlist new recruits to enhance character abilities, activate mechs to deter opponents from invading, and expand their borders to reap greater types and quantities of resources. These engine-building aspects create a sense of momentum and progress throughout the game. The order in which players improve their engines adds to the unique feel of each game, even if having played one faction multiple times.

Expansions

Scythe: Invaders from Afar
Scythe: Promo Pack #7 – Encounter Card 38
Scythe: Promo Pack #2 – Encounter Cards 33-36
Scythe: Promo Pack #1 – Encounter Cards 29-32
Scythe: Promo Pack #3 – Objective Cards 24-27
Scythe: Promo Pack #4 – Factory Cards 13-18
Scythe: Promo Pack #6 – Encounter Card 37
Scythe: Promo Pack #11 – Encounter Card 39
Scythe: The Wind Gambit
Scythe: Promo Pack #13 – Encounter Card 41
Scythe: Promo Pack #12 – Encounter Card 40
Scythe: Promo Pack #14 – Encounter Card 42
Scythe: The Rise of Fenris
Scythe: Encounters
Scythe: Bonus Promo Pack – 6 Promo Encounter Cards numbers 37-42
Scythe: Modular Board
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