Santorini, Strategy Family Board Game 2-4 Players Classic Fun Building Greek Mythology Card Game, for Kids & Adults Ages 8 and up

OVERVIEWSantorini is a 3D board game with a Greek myth theme set on the Greek island of Santorini. You battle as players assisted by gods and demigods to build the town and see who reaches the top of the tallest structure in it first..DETAILSPlayers: 2-4 (though 2 is optimal)Ages: 8+ (though a 6-year-old would grasp its simple play)Play Time: 20 minutesPublisher: Spin Master / RoxleyDesigner: Gordon HamiltonIllustrators: David Forest & Lina CossetteCOMPONENTS22 Level 1 Building Stories18 Level 2 Building Stories14 Level 3 Building Stories18 Domes1 Cliff Pedestal1 Island Board6 Builders, in three colors30 God Powers cards1 Manual of four pagesSome editions of the game include an Ocean Board that goes around the Cliff Pedestal, but it is not included in Spin Master edition, which is the one reviewed.Santorini has been around in one form or another for a few decades now, but this is an updated version of the game, one that many fans were hoping to see finally hit the market again. The quality of the components is good and parallels that of many of the other newer board games on the market that are considered to be hobbyist games. The plastic pieces are durable, well molded, and should last. The artwork has a fun, youthful chibi style.The manual is well done, and because the game is so simple, most of it is devoted to further unpacking the powers of the various God Power cards. The cards depict various gods and demigods of the Greek pantheon, and on of the nice features is that the powers they grant players match what that deity is known for, so Aphrodite would force the other player to always move next to one of your players, or the Minotaur would allow you to force an opponent’s Builder out of its space.PLAYWhile the game states it plays with people, it’s just teams of two. The more common player total is a head-to-head two. Three players is possible, but it’s a little more chaotic. Two players really is best.The goal is to move around the island board and construct the white and blue buildings the island of Santorini is known for. You call upon variable player powers granted you by the God Powers cards to use your skills to outwit the other player/team and get to the top of a three-story building first.The game is simple, with just two rules:While abiding by any special abilities your builder has been granted by the gods, move one of your builders into a neighboring space, either on the same level, one level up, or any number of levels down.Then build a building level immediately next to that builder you moved. On the third level, place a dome instead, which will prevent that space from being used..You win if you move one of your builders up to the third level.PRO+ Fast play+ Simple rules, but tough choices+ Teachable in just a couple minutes+ Looks beautiful as the town rises on the board, and will attract onlookers+ God Powers cards ensure no two games play alike, so plenty of replayability+ Appeals to a wide variety of players+ Great price and valueCON- Santorini is confrontational and has a screwage element to it that more sensitive gamers might not like- Unpacking and packing the game can take a little time because of the many pieces, but this is a quibbleEXPANSIONSantorini has an expansion that can be purchased, Golden Fleece, that adds more builder pieces, additional God Powers cards, new Hero Cards, the Ocean Board, and more. It’s a worthy upgrade for fans of the base game.SUMMARYSantorini is a new classic. Anyone looking for an alternative to chess, checkers, or other head-to-head game will find it an enjoyable choice. And it looks great too.

I got this game for, and play it with, my 6 and 7 year old daughters. That's about the lower limit of ages to play it.There are two levels of play: basic rules and god powers. The basic rules alone would have been a great strategy game, the god powers add lots of variety; each god basically has a particular rule exception or bonus (movement, building, victory condition) variation from the basic rules, so you end up with hundreds and hundreds of possible matchups.The basic game is each player has two workers. Each turn you move one worker to any adjacent square (including diagonal) that is not occupied, not capped off, and not more than one level higher than her starting square; and then build in any square adjacent to the square she moved to. You can only build a level 1 block on an empty square, a level 2 block on a level 1 block, a level 3 block on a level 2 block, and you can cap off a level 3 block. To win, you must move one of your workers to a level three block on your turn (some god powers might have put you at level 3 in your build or on another player's turn; that is not a winning condition), or prevent your opponent from having any legal moves.Mechanically, the game is elegant. The rules are simple enough for a child to understand, the board is a simple 5x5 grid, the pieces you build with are simply three decreasing sizes of blocks, and caps. Yet it can be almost chess-like in depth.Components are very nice. There is an "island" base under the board which adds atmosphere but has no function during play. The building pieces are easily distinguished white and blue plastic and make a very attractive looking city. The players' worker figures (there are one male and one female, in blue/beige/grey for up to three players), are cute; you could paint them if you're good at that, but it's not necessary. The god power cards are large and thick cardboard. The basic rules are one page, perfectly clear; the god powers are described over two pages, and can sometimes be a little confusing.This version does not have the ocean "mat" under the island. But like the island base itself, that is a purely cosmetic bit that has nothing whatsoever to do with the gameplay.

What a fantastic strategy game that adults and kids can play together. With the use of the god power cards, it manages to be challenging for adults (truly), yet at the same time, simple enough for kids. Meaning, the adults don't feel bored and the kids don't feel frustrated.If you're looking for a pure strategy game (no dice rolls, or cards to draw, etc.), definitely get this one! I got this game based on all the great reviews out there, and I am really glad I did. Earlier in the year, before the pandemic got rolling, I happened to have bought several board games, including Dixit, Catan Jr., Ticket to Ride Jr., and Kingdomino. We have been home a lot during the pandemic and the kids have been having fun working through the games. Although they have liked all of the games I bought, Santorini has been everybody's favorite.We have played it with the 8 year old and the 5 1/2 year old, and both love it. Since we started playing it, they have taken it out to play themselves several times (we parents will play when we have time). They love the building aspect and they really love the God power cards. I think they really get a kick out of having a power to hold over the other player(s); of course, the biggest kick is the power they get to hold over the adult players. haha.