Introduction
Viticulture: Essential Edition is a worker placement board game where 1-6 players take on the role of aspiring winemakers . Throughout each round, players experience four seasons. In these seasons, players will offer tours, create structures, plant, harvest, and fulfill orders. The player to reach at least 20 victory points becomes the most renowned viticulturist.
Components
Well designed insert
A detailed rule book, honestly one of the best to follow along
The game board, serving as the focal point. It features a summary of each season on the right side, helping players stay on track and reminding them of the events needed at each season and at the end of each round
Player boards to manage your vineyard and track your progress
Unique colored meeples (yellow, purple, blue, orange, white, green) and structures for various locations on the board
Translucent grape tokens representing harvest and wine values
Summer and Winter visitor cards that provide special abilities
Order fulfillment cards for selling your wine.
Vine cards to plant and initiate wine production
Field cards allowing you to uproot part of your vineyard
Currency called Lira
Starting cards: each player begins with a mama and papa card. These cards provide a bit of an asymmetric starting point
Gameplay
Each round of Viticulture comprises four phases:
1. Spring: Players choose when their workers wake up, determining turn order. Additionally, players may gain perks such as inviting visitors, receiving Lira, drawing vine or wine order cards, earning victory points, or gaining a temporary worker for the year.
2. Summer: Players send workers to various locations on the board to plant grapes, play visitor cards, build structures, or give tours.
3. Fall: Inviting visitors to play them in either summer or winter.
4. Winter: Players send workers to various locations on the board to harvest fields, gain Lira, train new workers, play a visitor card, make wine, and fulfill orders.
At the end of each year, players age their grapes, return workers, collect residual payments based on filled orders, discard down to 7 cards, rotate the first-player token, and check if a player has reached at least 20 victory points. The game concludes with the player having the most victory points emerging as the winner.
What I Like
I absolutely love this game; it's one of my favorites. It was my first Instagram impulse buy . We played this game A LOT during the beginning of the pandemic at a two-player count. The instruction manual was daunting at first, but thanks to the Watch it Played video and the rule book, we were able to enjoy it right away. The game skillfully balances luck and strategy.
Viticulture scales up really well, so regardless of it being a two-player or up to a six-player game, it remains enjoyable and leaves you wanting more.I also like:
- The meeples
- The well-crafted instruction manual
- The board's user-friendly iconography and marked spaces
- The high replayability
- The delightful moments shared with loved ones over wine, cheese, and charcuterie boards during gameplay
- The challenge of getting started, prompting forward-thinking to crush grapes and outsmart opponents
- I love that the boards have a Spanish side, I wish the cards did too, so I could enjoy this with my family
What I Don't Like
My only ugh with Viticulture is my own persistent delusion that somehow, this one time we'll manage to finish the game within the suggested 45-90 minute timeframe.
Conclusion
Viticulture: Essential Edition is one of my favorite games . It skillfully blends strategy and an opportunity to enjoy wine and cheese boards with friends. The game strikes a perfect balance between luck and strategy If you haven't tried this game and you enjoy worker placement games, this is one you should definitely try. There are multiple expansions that add a lot to the game, but I wouldn't recommend them to start with as the base game provides ample replayability on its own.
Happy gaming!
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