Starling Games | Everdell 2nd Edition | Board Game | 40-80 Minute Playing Time | Ages 10+ | 1-4 Players

I like how the game design and mechanics fit satisfyingly well around the central theme of building a flourishing forest city. The art design on the playing cards is delightfully cute, and the pairing of critters with their corresponding construction in the artwork is a lovely feature. I've mostly played the 2-player game with my partner, but have also played with 3 or 4 players, where more of the unique cards and events can be showcased per game. A single player option is also available. Once players are familiar with the rules, each person's individual turn is relatively short, so that the game can progress fairly quickly without people getting bored waiting for their turn. There are good videos available online explaining the rules in around 20 minutes or less, and I would generally recommending checking these out so you can try before you buy. The paper rulebook provided also contains more artwork and lore about the game world. My family and friends have enjoyed playing this game together multiple times, so I would say this represents decent value for money. Overall quality and durability of the physical pieces (cards, resource markers, player markers, board) is very good, though I would recommend taking care when constructing the Evertree part of the board as this is the most easy part to accidently damage due to frequent construction and deconstruction.

First of all this game is beautiful, the board the pieces the 3D tree the whole thing is lovely to look at - the game itself is maximum 4 players and we play as a family with our youngest being 6 (but generally good at board games) the game can last a while so allow a good 90mins or so although I guess it would be quicker with 2, hard to explain the game it’s basically about using resources to built a community - send your worker to get wood - build a farm - get a farmer (or a Court and a Judge or a School and a Teacher) etc then each building or character adds points and perks to your community / city - you play 4 similar but not identical seasons and then tot up your scores - the whole game is made super cute due to all of this being based in a woodland creature theme so you have mice, badgers, rabbits, bats, moles all with jobs that suit their animal persona - superb game not for the faint hearted this is not ‘roll a dice move so many places turn over a card’ kind of gameplay it is a little complicated and quite strategic but super engaging and easy to learn - highly recommended one of our absolute favourites

Fun game that perhaps isn’t for everyone. But once you get into the swing of things it becomes quite engaging.

Very cute and great fun. Very high quality components - that make the game more engaging - and worth the price. The rules are probably slightly too complex for very young children but the basic rules are covered in just a few pages - the variety comes from the text on the cards - so older children will have no trouble and the learning curve is not steep at all. There are also multiple expansions if you want to increase the complexity and length of the game - but the base game is great on its own and the ultra cute theme makes it a firm family favourite.

I was intrigued by the first moment I saw this game, I did some research and I purchased. Me and my boyfriend played for the first time this evening and we absolutely love it! the world of the game is effectively detailed and the art is fantastic, it’s really engaging! It is so conveniently packaged and well made. Happy with this purchase!

In my opinion this game is overpriced and I don't get the tree thingy. I mean, it's a fun game... but if you are a board game geek like us... well, you have played already similar games that are less pricey and as good as Everdell. The components of the game look very nice, which I guess makes this game more pricey... but oh, the font is so small and uncomfortable to read, hopefully they will fix that in future editions? The game arrived in perfect conditions and on time (even if it was in Christmas season), so very thankful about that!

Daughter delighted with birthday gift

Really great resource management game - the resource materials are really satisfying to collect; cards are high quality. Little worried about how long the tree will last but we are being very careful with it as it’s such a monument during play. Don’t recommend younger ones supporting the tree set up or packing away

On first order, I received a Japanese, regular (not collector) edition. After re-ordering, I did receive an English version, but still NOT the Collector's Edition.

Bellissimo

Beautiful and fun game. Worth gifting to someone that enjoys tabletop games.

My wife loves this game and we crack it out occasionally to relax after a stressful day. The game is easy to play, seems very well balanced (our final scores are usually within 10 points of each other), the art is wonderful, and it's quick. Pros: - Great worker placement/engine builder that is easy to teach - Wonderful art and theming - truly delightful, even for a cynic like me. - Quick to play and easy to teach* (more on that in a second) - most of our games take 30-40 minutes. - Card-based nature gives it a bit of (shared) randomness and replayability. - Simple, elegant design, not a lot of bloated rules or unneded complexity. Cons: - I've heard this is true of many Starling Games, but the manual is not well written and poorly laid out. My wife is a rulebook fan, but we both needed to watch a round or two being played online to understand it. There's also some imprecise wording on some of the cards that are open to interpretation. Nothing a good copy edit and wording changes in a second edition wouldn't fix, but it can make the first game or two a little frustrating. - Full sized cards (preferably with sleeves), the big standing tree, and large play area mean you'll need a lot of table space for this. I wish the cards were a smidge smaller to reduce its footprint.

After 5 games under my belt, this has become one of my favourites. I don't normally splurge to this extent -- money's tight -- but I'd heard really good things about it enough to make this a bit of a birthday treat. Contrary to all appearances it is not a "gateway" game. There is a learning curve... steeper for some depending on experience. Be prepared to spend more time on the first few games than is being advertised. The theme though evocative of Wind in the Willows, Beatrix Potter and Watership Down, this is not a "children's" game although the entire family can have fun with it. The game certainly deserves all the praise it has gotten for it's beautiful artwork and delightful components. My copy (seems to be the second printing) came with the upgraded wooden twigs as well. Replayability factor is high. Every game so far has been different depending on the movement and pick of cards in hand, in the Meadow and around the forest locations. It does take a while to get acquainted with the deck to play more tactically but it's worth it to see improvements in how the tableau and engine shapes up. The worker placement in this is also very cleverly designed. Save your pennies as I highly recommend this for those who want a bit more of a challenge in terms of tactics and strategy.