Signorie (2015)

Overview

Italy during the 15th century was a country full of intrigue and magnificence. The tumultuous political conditions created the perfect breeding ground for the birth of a new form of government (called Signoria) and the rise of the most ambitious noble families. After having acted in the dark for a long time, the time has finally come for them to take control of the cities and shape Italy’s future. Their stories will go down in history.

In Signorie, you will play the role of a Signore, a Lord of one of the most prestigious families of the Renaissance. One at the time, players choose one die from a common pool. (Twenty dice in five colors are rolled at the beginning of each round.) You place it on your player board (your city) and perform one of the possible actions. The color of the chosen die determines the action, and the number on the die is a discount on the cost of the action.

During a round, each player can perform up to four actions. At the end of the round, if the sum of a player's chosen dice is equal or lower than 13, he can obtain a reward.

The dice mechanism is easy and innovative and gives players a simple, but challenging choice. Money is always tight, so there is a temptation to choose a high valued dice, but that needs to be balanced with obtaining the reward.