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Stephens

2024-09-10T16:22:47-04:00

Vendor: Capstone Games
Type: Board Games
Price: 63.95

Designer	Costa Rôla
Publisher	Capstone Games
Players	1-4
Playtime	60-120 mins
Suggested Age	12 and up
Additional Info	357975/stephens http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/357975/stephens/forums/63

After the big earthquake of 1755 that tore down Lisbon and most of Portugal's southern coast, it was necessary to rebuild an entire nation. The demand for window glass increased so much that William Stephens, a British businessman, saw the opportunity to expand his business in Portugal by investing in the glass industry.

In Stephens, players compete amongst one another in the role of master glassmakers working at the famous "Stephens" Factory to become the most prestigious figure in town...after Stephens, of course. Through clever and cunning planning, all players will develop their works, invest in new businesses, and promote the creation of jobs. Through a unique action-selection mechanism, on their turn players choose from a variety of options, either by activating the Stephens factory or by activating one of their personal investments.

The game ends when the Napoleonic forces arrive in town, at which time the player with the most prestige wins.

Lunaris 45

2023-09-27T03:14:24-04:00

Vendor: Pile Up Games
Type: Board Games
Price: 36.95

Designer	Costa Rôla
Publisher	Pile Up Games
Players	2-4
Playtime	25-50 mins
Suggested Age	10 and up
Additional Info	380915/lunaris-45 http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/380915/lunaris-45/forums/63

The year is 2023 and the world is buzzing with excitement as a groundbreaking new project is announced. A leading corporation in space exploration has unveiled its plans to build a lunar complex unlike any other. The name of this project is LUNARIS 45, and its goal is to create a fully operational lunar colony that will be run entirely by artificial intelligence.
As news of this project spreads, it captures the imagination of people all over the world. The idea of a self-sufficient lunar complex, with its own power sources, food production, and communication systems, is both ambitious and awe-inspiring. And with the use of advanced AI technology, the possibilities seem endless.

But as with any groundbreaking project, there are also concerns. Some wonder if the reliance on AI will make the colony vulnerable to malfunctions or even takeover by rogue AI. Others worry about the impact that such a project might have on the future of humanity.
To address the concerns of vulnerability surrounding the LUNARIS 45 project, the corporation has assembled a team of the world’s top experts in disaster response, AI safety, and cybersecurity. These scientists are tasked with identifying and anticipating any catastrophic scenarios that might arise from running a lunar colony entirely by AI.

But these experts are not paid in the usual way. Instead, they are offered a unique incentive: for every problem they solve, they will receive a generous amount of credits.

This payment system ensures that the team is motivated to work tirelessly, leaving no stone unturned in their quest to make the LUNARIS 45 project as safe and secure as possible. From the possibility of a solar flare disrupting the colony’s power supply to the risk of rogue AI causing a catastrophic malfunction, the team of experts works to identify every conceivable problem and develop plans to mitigate them.
Players will take on the role of one of these experts. Players will use their knowledge and powerful computers to predict and solve any problem that may arise. Players will be upgrading these computers to achieve better results and solve even more complicated problems. Players will also be working in a vast network where they can share knowledge and achieve the optimal solution to the most varied problems.

Players will be rolling dice to match the values on problem cards in order to solve any catastrophic events. Players will be able to upgrade their inventory by buying more dice, more rerolls, and the opportunity to use the dice of other players. Every problem card solved will grant players credits that may be exchanged for Euros, but the more players upgrade the worst their conversion ratio of credits to euros becomes.

—description from the designer

Lata

2023-09-27T03:12:56-04:00

Vendor: PYTHAGORAS
Type: Board Games
Price: 37.95

Designer	Costa Rôla
Publisher	PYTHAGORAS
Players	1-4
Playtime	20-45 mins
Suggested Age	8 and up
Additional Info	374201/lata http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/374201/lata/forums/63

The Portuguese canning industry developed throughout the 20th century, going through periods of great splendor and of extraordinary importance in the social fabric of communities close to fishing centers. After the huge growth due to the immense supply of troops in Europe that World War II brought, the industry went through a period of stability with the consolidation of the quality of the products and the establishment of markets abroad.

Lata ("tin can" in English) is the name of the raw material for the containers in which the fish is packed, and it also turned out to be a popular designation for the product. In this game, players manage local canning companies in the 1950s and produce and sell the famous canned sardines or canned mackerel, the two main canned fish in the first decades of the industry, before the appearance of the very popular tuna.

The game takes place over six rounds. In each round, players buy a batch of fish, tomato or olive oil, which they then can use in their factory. These preserves will then be sold to markets. This operation will result in money that will be used to buy scorecards and increase the factory's production capacity.

The order in which each batch of raw materials is chosen is given by an auction of action points that players secretly make by sliding their disk to the left on the action track of their individual board. Whoever gives up more opportunities for action chooses the best lot, but it is clear that having more possibilities for action is vital to produce more and reach the best markets!

The player with the most victory points (VP), which are awarded at the end of the game by the scorecards, wins.

Lata is the second game in the "Quinas Collection", following the success of Café, the first game in the line.

—description from the designer

Dom Pierre: Connoisseur Expansion

2023-09-21T23:51:55-04:00

Vendor: R&R Games
Type: Board Games
Price: 40.95

Designer	Costa Rôla
Publisher	R&R Games
Players	2-4
Playtime	60-120 mins
Suggested Age	12 and up
Expansion For	Dom Pierre
Additional Info	371052/dom-pierre-connoisseur-expansion http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/371052/dom-pierre-connoisseur-expansion/forums/63

This expansion consists of the stretch goals and is filled to the brim with upgraded components and more game play content!

Featuring new wooden casks and barrels to replace your small action and score tokens. Includes deluxe worker meeples, metal coins, and a beautiful new velour bag! There are also added gameplay options such as Goal cards that add events and the Terrior expansion!

-description from the back of the box

Moesteiro

2022-09-21T22:55:58-04:00

Vendor: PYTHAGORAS
Type: Board Games
Price: 78.95

Designer	Costa Rôla
Publisher	PYTHAGORAS
Players	2-4
Playtime	30-60 mins
Suggested Age	10 and up
Honors	2022 5 Seasons Portuguese Game of the Year Nominee 2022 5 Seasons Best Portuguese Expert Game Nominee
Additional Info	364042/moesteiro http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/364042/moesteiro/forums/63

Towards the end of the XIV Century, King D. João I ordered the construction of one of the most elegant Portuguese
monasteries, the Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória. During the construction period numerous prestigious architects, master craftsmen, and apprentices came from all over Europe motivated by financial rewards, prestige, and, importantly, the pursuit of knowledge.

In Moesteiro players are architects in charge of teams of workers and master artisans and they compete for the glory of becoming the most prolific and important architect of their time.

The game is played over five rounds. Once all dice have been placed players will perform actions in the order of the action areas, from I to V. After that each player will have an opportunity to help build the monastery. During the game Victory Points (VPs) can be earned from the King tiles, from the village and in helping to construct the monastery. At the end of the game VPs are earned for sets of different unused stonework and stained glass tiles, as well as for their position on the labour track. The winner is the player with most VPs.

-description from designer

Dom Pierre

2022-07-04T07:07:24-04:00

Vendor: R&R Games
Type: Board Games
Price: 64.95

Designer	Costa Rôla
Publisher	R&R Games
Players	2-4
Playtime	60-120 mins
Suggested Age	12 and up
Expansion	Dom Pierre: Connoisseur Expansion
Additional Info	332853/dom-pierre http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/332853/dom-pierre/forums/63

At the end of the 17th century, a French Benedictine monk in charge of the cellar at Hautvillers Abbey made an important contribution to differentiate wines from that region. As a result, it became possible to produce wines of superior quality, particularly in white wines made from black grape varieties. While Dom Pierre Pérignon initially felt the sparkling of the wine was a negative feature, the consequent increase in both quality and quantity created the path that lead to the appreciation and recognition of champagne.

Throughout the 18th century, several "champagne houses" — or Champagne Maisons — were founded, and a new business dynamic grew in the region. These houses replaced small farm and monastery production in leading the evolutionary process of champagne, and by planting more vineyards or buying grapes from other producers or both, they mastered the specialization. To promote their product, the houses hired sales agents to take samples of their champagne wines to the Royal Courts of Europe, a crucial factor in generating the glamorous fashion of drinking champagne.

Despite production growth, improved quality, and increasing popularity, trade did not reach spectacular rates during the 19th century — which is why the game Dom Pierre is much more about winning prestige than earning money. In the game, you are responsible for one of the oldest Champagne Maisons, producing and selling wine all over Europe, not to mention the other side of the Atlantic. The local economy will be boosted, employment increased, and your brand will become universally recognized.

To make all this happen will require a chain of actions that starts in your vineyard. You will need to look for continuous improvement, constantly react to your opponents, and optimize your choices to build the most prestigious Champagne Maison. In game terms, on a turn you move up a disc on the winery game board and perform an action, with the actions become more powerful as the game progresses. You will plant in the vineyards, harvest crops, buy grapes from neighbors, make wines in your cellar (some more valuable than others), allocate salespeople on four market routes and workers in the vineyard and cellar, and acquire the necessary accessories to improve production.

Café (Base Game Only)

2022-04-22T04:51:42-04:00

Vendor: PYTHAGORAS
Type: Board Games
Price: 49.95

Designers	Costa Rôla
Publisher	PYTHAGORAS
Players	1-4
Playing Time	20-45 mins
Suggested Age	8 and up
Additional Info	284936/cafe http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/284936/cafe/forums/63

Note: This game is in English

During King's D. João V kingdom, Portugal was a major European power. From Brazil, the king ordered Sargent Melo Palheta to travel to the French Guyana to formally establish the Utrecht Treaty of 1713 and to secretly bring coffee seeds to Brazil.
The Sargent was successful and by 1800 Brazil was already one of the largest and biggest coffee producers in the world.

In the early XX century, coffee from Brazil, São Tomé and Príncipe, Angola and Timor is largely appreciated in Portugal and inspires the appearance of prestige coffee shops in emblematic locations that attract the elite. Through dedication, hard work and competence, the Portuguese XX century witnesses the birth of one of the biggest coffee industries in the world.

In Café, 1 to 4 players represent coffee companies, that from plantation, aging, roasting and distribution, try to create and control the best supply chain of coffee.

—description from the publisher

Café + Expresso (Base Game + Expresso)

2022-03-02T11:46:06-05:00

Vendor: PYTHAGORAS
Type: Board Games
Price: 45.95

Designers	Costa Rôla
Publisher	PYTHAGORAS
Players	1-4
Playing Time	20-45 mins
Suggested Age	8 and up
Honors	2021 GEEKS d'OURO Best Portuguese Board Game of the Year Nominee 2021 GEEKS d'OURO Best Board Game of the Year Nominee 2020 5 Seasons Portuguese Game of the Year Winner 2020 5 Seasons Portuguese Game of the Year Nominee 2020 5 Seasons Best Solo Mode Nominee 2020 5 Seasons Best Portuguese Strategy Game Winner 2020 5 Seasons Best Portuguese Strategy Game Nominee
Expansion	Café: EXPRESSO
Additional Info	284936/cafe http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/284936/cafe/forums/63

Café base game + Café: EXPRESSO Expansion in the box

Note: This game is in English

During King's D. João V kingdom, Portugal was a major European power. From Brazil, the king ordered Sargent Melo Palheta to travel to the French Guyana to formally establish the Utrecht Treaty of 1713 and to secretly bring coffee seeds to Brazil.
The Sargent was successful and by 1800 Brazil was already one of the largest and biggest coffee producers in the world.

In the early XX century, coffee from Brazil, São Tomé and Príncipe, Angola and Timor is largely appreciated in Portugal and inspires the appearance of prestige coffee shops in emblematic locations that attract the elite. Through dedication, hard work and competence, the Portuguese XX century witnesses the birth of one of the biggest coffee industries in the world.

In Café, 1 to 4 players represent coffee companies, that from plantation, aging, roasting and distribution, try to create and control the best supply chain of coffee.

—description from the publisher

Café: EXPRESSO (Expansion Only) (Import)

2021-09-07T17:00:56-04:00

Vendor: PYTHAGORAS
Type: Board Games
Price: 9.95

Designer	Costa Rôla
Publisher	PYTHAGORAS
Players	1-4
Playtime	20-40 mins
Suggested Age	8 and up
Expansion For	Café
Additional Info	329198/cafe-expresso http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/329198/cafe-expresso/forums/63

Café expansion with 8 new plan cards and 4 new icons: Expresso, Lote, Nata and Plus.

6 Castles

2020-12-27T00:05:12-05:00

Vendor: PYTHAGORAS
Type: Board Games
Price: 42.95

Designers	Costa Rôla
Publisher	PYTHAGORAS
Players	2-4
Playing Time	30-60 mins
Suggested Age	8 and up
Additional Info	274548/6-castles http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/274548/6-castles/forums/63

In the XII century, during the territory reconquest, small kingdoms are formed in the Iberian Peninsula, which will continue to fight among themselves in the following centuries. In the West, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, a new country is born – Portugal. The first Portuguese kings strongly invest their efforts and scarce resources in the expansion of the territory towards South, while organizing the defense of these new borders. Castles are built and land-use contracts are given to small villages that grow bigger and gain more importance in these parts of the country.

Where today exists in the County of Idanha-a-Nova a line with six castles which was formed to help in the defence of the Country and maintain distance from the kingdom of Leon. This line of Castles enabled the growth of a region that since the time of the Roman presence had an enormous importance in the interior of the peninsula.

In 6 Castelos, 2 to 4 players are representatives of the king seeking to promote agriculture, free trade, religious faith and wealth for the nobles of the kingdom.

Note: Solo rules are available online but do not come in the game box.

—description from the publisher

Yínzi: The Shining Ming Dynasty

2019-01-24T11:13:51-05:00

Vendor: Spielworxx
Type: Board Games
Price: 127.95

Designer	Costa Rôla
Publisher	Spielworxx
Players	2-4
Playtime	100-180 mins
Suggested Age	12 and up
Additional Info	266460/yinzi-shining-ming-dynasty http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/266460/yinzi-shining-ming-dynasty/forums/63

China experienced the greatest economic expansion in its history during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). The silver trade between the Americas and Europe and onward to China had a profound effect on the world economy – it may be considered the beginning of a global economy.

In China, social mobility led to the growing of cities, especially in the lower Yangtze area, which was at that time responsible for the main production of wheat for the whole country. In addition to wheat and rice, other crops like tea, fruits, and sugarcane were grown on a large scale. Immigrating peasants changed their profession to become merchants and artisans. Many people from the countryside were employed in private or state run factories, producing commodities like paper, porcelain, refined sugar, or silk textiles.

Trade and commerce thrived in this liberalized economy and was aided by the construction of canals, roads, and bridges by the Ming government. Ming China saw the rise of several merchant clans, who owned large amounts of wealth.

In Yínzi: The Shining Ming Dynasty — "yínzi" meaning "silver" — the players represent merchant clans developing parts of China in the late Ming period in the early 17th century along the last 200 km of the Yangtze river before it reaches the China Sea.

The players plant crops, sell goods to the rural or urban markets, develop raw materials, build and upgrade factories, and sell their goods to ships already waiting in the port. In order to reach the port, the players need to improve their river transport capabilities along the Yangtze.