Senators

I have really enjoyed playing this game. the game is tight and making the right bid and decisions makes the difference in winning.

I found this game to be interesting in the sense that there is so much player interaction. Most games with strong interactive components either lack strategy or are deduction games (like Coup / Secret Hitler, etc). However, I found the game itself tends to punish players with too many of its event cards. This can leave little liquidity in terms of money which limits player ability to take actions and can make for a very slow game at times. I anticipate trying to modify the rules a bit to help with this for any future plays, but with many other great games out there I am not sure this one will make it to additional plays.

Designer Rikki Tahta first caught my attention with his terrific bluffing game Coup (2012). I also enjoyed his Melee (2014), which is a cleverly designed game where players try to control provinces and conquer their opponent's castle with a very fun blind bidding mechanic that gives much scope for bluffing. So I didn't take much convincing to check out his more recent game Senators (2017), which he co-designed with his father Haig Tahta. This is an adversarial and interactive bidding game for 3-5 players, with an ancient Rome theme. It was originally self-published, but was subsequently picked up by Indie Board & Cards, and published in a professional edition.OverviewSenators is all about bidding. The theme brings us into ancient Rome, and we are one among several leaders vying for power in the Senate. Our aim is to control the most votes by "buying" Senators to our cause, because if we can be the player with the most Senators aligned to our faction, we will win the game. So how are we going to earn the finances needed to bankroll our political quest? That's where the auctions come in. We'll bid to purchase resources, which we can also acquire from other players by extortion, and most importantly that we can sell back to the bank in sets for a handy profit. We'll need that cash for buying Senators, as well as for supporting wars and defending against other bids. All of these actions involve different bidding systems, so we'll constantly need to be on our toes if we are going to be successful in becoming the next Caesar by winning the game.ImpressionsSenators combines mechanics like auctions, events, and set collection, but it's the auctions that are the heart of the game. This will give it real appeal to fans of bidding games. But Senators stands out from most auction games due to the diversity of auction systems that are included, and the purity and elegance of the auction mechanics.Furthermore, there is a very high level of interaction and engagement with other players. This can make it quite brutal and harsh, while still being fun. Some players won't like the luck of the event cards, while others will love this tight and vicious design. Gamers will especially love it, as long as they are prepared to give it at least a couple of plays to get familiar with the game system. The quick game time is another strong redeeming element that helps overcome potential weaknesses.The components aren't out-of-this-world, and there are elements of the game-play that some might wish were more polished or worked differently. These will often be matters of personal taste. Senators isn't a game that's been made to wow you with over-the-top artwork, or to create a friendly experience where everyone pats each other on the back. It's rather a tense and challenging assignment where you'll have to keep your wits about you, play aggressively and boldly, in an effort to climb ahead of your opponents. But let's face it, isn't that exactly what success in the high circles of ancient Rome was all about? This game does a wonderful job of recreating some of that tension.RecommendationSo is Senators for you? This auction game by the team of Rickki and Haig Tahta is a very fine game for what it is, but it won't suit everyone. If you can't stand bidding games, don't appreciate heavy doses of interaction, and find it hard to deal with a tight and brutal game design, then this won't be your cup of tea. But there are plenty of gamers who will just lap up this kind of design. If you are a fan of pure auction games like Reiner Knizia's classic Modern Art, then you'll love the diverse auctions that are the heart of the Senators' game design. Many gamers will enjoy the challenge of managing your finances and taking your chances that this game requires.It's a tough assignment, and not everyone will be up for the challenge. But for many gamers who love pure auction games, and who enjoy the thrill of a tight economy combined with some brutal interaction, this will be gaming nirvana.