The City-State of Tempest sits in a small coastal area wedged between the mountains and the sea. While the mountains hold isolated miners, shepherds, and the famed Abbey of the Heavenly Temple, for most people the waters are the lifeblood of Tempest, and its buildings cluster around the canals that weave into every part of the city. That was before a recent storm breached a natural barrier to the Fens, allowing Tempest the chance to expand. In Canalis, 2-4 players lead a faction as it seeks to dominate the colonization of this new swampy coastal land. You need to provide waterborne access to your buildings, and connect them to the natural resources that previously could not be exploited. Fueled by the promise of wealth and the chance to form and dominate a new district in the image of your faction, this is your chance to ensure that your people control the area from its inception. and never let go.
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Canalis is part of AEG's Tempest series which include such brilliant board games as Courtier, Mercante, and Dominare. Here, players attempt to construct a series of canals in order to connect their businesses with the resources they need, their workers, and the harbor itself. Each round, 2-4 players will take turns drafting cards from a circulating hand. These cards allow players to take various actions like gain money or other benefits. Many cards will allow you to place certain types of buildings or canals on the board. These are Tetris-shaped pieces that you put on the board, trying to connect your various resources and access to the sea. Points are scored each time you can connect everything together, as well as for some other factors. After a set number of turns, the player with the most points wins the game.
Canalis is a fun, engaging eurogame that requires players to make tough choices. During the card drafting there may be several cards you want, and just as important, there may be several cards you don't want your opponents to have- but you can only take on. Additionally, trying to place the various canals and buildings is a lot of fun, and gets increasingly tense as the game moves forward and there is less and less real estate available. Players can turn mean and attempt to block off other players' buildings from the harbor or their resources, giving Canalis a real cutthroat dimension. It's a style of gameplay that will be familiar to fans of other games in the Tempest series, most notably Dominare. While not quite reaching to the level of Courtier and Dominare, it is a solid game that really delivers some great competition, and manages to eclipse Mercante. If you haven't played any of the other Tempest games, don't worry. Canalis is easy to pick up and provides a wonderful experience independent of its AEG siblings.
Great little game. I found Canalis used at a local game spot. Great combo mechanism of drafting and city building. If you have experience with euro style table top games, Canalis will be easy to learn. Canalis has a Citadels feel mixed with drafting with puzzle like pieces. Game is well crafted. Canalis contains sturdy quality pieces and vibrant artwork upon cards. The gameplay is intricate Canalis does introduce a little chaos when 4 players are scrambling to score and fill in the few remaining blocks left upon the grid during late game. Canalis is a simple game to learn but hard to master.
Pros Sturdy well crafted pieces Simple to pick up and play Game play ends after 4th hand (quick and enjoyable).
Cons Limited grid. Players will need to work in harmony to make the best use of space upon the board. Canals can take up too much room at times. Small world. With a slightly bigger grid and a few more cards — this game could easily support 6 players.