A fantastic game for the right people.
First, this is not a game for the inexperienced gamer. If all you know is Monopoly or Clue, don't even think about this puppy. I'm sorry if it sounds arrogant but I'm just giving it to you straight. This is a hard-core "Euro-game" as they're called among serious gamers. Each game I've played has been a 3 hour brain churning exercise. Now this is probably going to get a little easier as my wife and I get more used to the game, but it will remain a complex game. If you ignore my advice and buy it anyway (it IS a great game after all) do be aware that there are some extremely helpful videos on how to play that can be found on the boardgamegeek.com web site. (Just do a search for The Gallerist, and scroll down to the list of videos.)
For experienced gamers who want a heavy Euro game, this is a gem.
The production quality is sky high. Board, counters, pieces, all of excellent quality. Another reviewer called the game "ugly" which is unkind. I would probably have preferred a more vibrant color scheme but the designers went for a softer blue/grey palette and that works fine. The overall look of the game is modernist elegant. Which is appropriate enough as the art displayed in the game is modernist. Speaking of art, during the game you get to the chance to buy some of 32 pieces of art in 4 categories, all of it by actual living artists!
The rules of the game are moderately complicated, as I've been emphasizing, but not at all impossible to grasp. It's just the totality of the thing that's hard to digest all at once. Once you start to understand the game, the theme of being an art promotor and gallery owner really shines through. Each turn you can either: discover artists, buy their art, get contracts, sell the art, hire assistants, promote an artist, or work the international art scene. All very thematic and well handled by the game's rules. It's not a typical worker placement game because you really have one worker (you!) but it can be very hard deciding what to do each turn. Should I promote this up and coming artist whose art I've already purchased? But another gallery owner also has her art, so am I helping them too much? Maybe I should just sell the painting and focus on a new artist? Good games give you tough decisions and The Gallerist gives you plenty of good tough decisions.
A parallel problem for you, the gallery owner, is getting art collectors, investors, and celebrities to visit your gallery. (Represented by little white, brown, and pink wooden mini people, or meeples.) Getting these little ice cream colored guys to show up in your gallery, and not the other players', is a constant struggle. Again, more decisions.
A lot of this can be overwhelming at first, but the overall design of the components, especially the board, really help to guide you through the game's rules. There are lots of subtle little graphic elements drawn on the board to help keep you from forgetting important rules. It's that kind of attention to detail which really helps to make this game shine.
At the end of my games I've felt mentally worn out but very satisfied. I haven't won yet (next time?) but I didn't really mind. The journey was as important as the destination. Highly recommended!
December 2017 Note - Well over a year later. I haven't played it as often as I'd like (it's a big game!) but I still like it just as much. Also, I've managed to win a game!
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The Gallerist: Vital Lacerda's Strategic Masterpiece
The Gallerist is a brilliant, complex game of strategy with immensely satisfying gameplay mechanics. Its designer - Portugal's Vital Lacerda - is currently one of the most innovative game designers in the world. In The Gallerist, his imagination and masterful design take players on a journey through the art world as they strive to create the most successful art gallery. The game features plenty of room for meaningful strategic decisions and rewards efficient, smart play over luck. It is a blast to play with a dedicated group of serious players and its solo variant is addictive. I highly recommend the game for experienced gamers who are familiar with mechanical and strategic devices common to "euro"-style games and are willing to devote an afternoon to learning the rules. Best of all - in a world full of rote dice-chucking and card-drawing boardgames - if you lose, it's probably your fault.The Gallerist's production quality is top-notch. Game components are intuitive, durable, and thoughtfully designed. The box itself is fantastic: there's room to store everything without buying or crafting storage solutions.Thematically, the game is an immersive and engaging. Players compete to maximize the fame and profit of their art gallery by buying and selling 1) paintings,2) photographs 4) sculpture, and 4) digital media. Players take actions to increase the value of their art and attract visitors to their gallery. In a multiplayer game, the winner is the player with the most money after intermediate and post-game scoring. In a solo game, the player's post-game score includes completing several goals, with the results falling into three levels of proficiency: apprentice, experienced, and master gallerist. Both multiplayer and solo variants are extraordinarily "replayable."The Gallerist's rules are exceptionally well-written and - while complex - easy to understand and digest. Lacerda has designed the rules to make sense thematically, so they're easy to grasp after a few plays. For example, if you sell a piece of art, you must remove a visitor from your gallery (the visitor is leaving with their new work of art!), and when you buy a piece of art, the artist's fame increases, as do potential gallery visitors. Turns require moving your pawn to one of four locations. Each location (and turn) offers two exclusive "action" options. For instance: players can 1) commission or buy art at the Artist Colony, 2) sign a contract or sell art at the Sales Office, 3) promote their artists or hire assistants at the Media Center, or 4) send assistants to the International Market to increase reputation or participate in an auction. Each turn is accompanied by an optional "executive action" phase, when players are given a choice between two additional actions per turn. These actions are nearly always symbiotic and require a keen sense of prioritization to maximize your score. A novel "kicked-out" mechanic allows players to compete for locations at the risk of giving their opponents additional, unearned actions. You'll likely forget several rules during your first several plays, so keep the rulebook handy and expect to consult it a few times.The Gallerist's gameplay is governed by a few very clever game "timers" that will have you racing to complete your goals before the endgame is triggered. These game timers are not random, arbitrary, nor capricious: there are no dice or "gotcha" moments here. If you run out of time, it's because somebody else maximized theirs. Likewise, if you run out of time during solo play, it's because of cumulative inefficiencies. Plan accordingly.Overall, The Gallerist is one of the most unique, sophisticated, and elegant board games - both aesthetically and in gameplay - to emerge in the past few decades. It will likely go down as one of the finest games ever conceived. It is a worthwhile pursuit for serious gamers who want a low-luck, heavy-strategy game with many interconnecting pieces that function like a sprawling efficiency puzzle. Its theme is engrossing and contributes heavily to its enjoyability. Two BIG thumbs up to Vital Lacerda and Eagle-Gryphon Games for sharing this masterpiece with the world!
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2016
- Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2019
The Gallerist is a brilliant, complex game of strategy with immensely satisfying gameplay mechanics. Its designer - Portugal's Vital Lacerda - is currently one of the most innovative game designers in the world. In The Gallerist, his imagination and masterful design take players on a journey through the art world as they strive to create the most successful art gallery. The game features plenty of room for meaningful strategic decisions and rewards efficient, smart play over luck. It is a blast to play with a dedicated group of serious players and its solo variant is addictive. I highly recommend the game for experienced gamers who are familiar with mechanical and strategic devices common to "euro"-style games and are willing to devote an afternoon to learning the rules. Best of all - in a world full of rote dice-chucking and card-drawing boardgames - if you lose, it's probably your fault.
The Gallerist: Vital Lacerda's Strategic Masterpiece
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2019
The Gallerist's production quality is top-notch. Game components are intuitive, durable, and thoughtfully designed. The box itself is fantastic: there's room to store everything without buying or crafting storage solutions.
Thematically, the game is an immersive and engaging. Players compete to maximize the fame and profit of their art gallery by buying and selling 1) paintings,2) photographs 4) sculpture, and 4) digital media. Players take actions to increase the value of their art and attract visitors to their gallery. In a multiplayer game, the winner is the player with the most money after intermediate and post-game scoring. In a solo game, the player's post-game score includes completing several goals, with the results falling into three levels of proficiency: apprentice, experienced, and master gallerist. Both multiplayer and solo variants are extraordinarily "replayable."
The Gallerist's rules are exceptionally well-written and - while complex - easy to understand and digest. Lacerda has designed the rules to make sense thematically, so they're easy to grasp after a few plays. For example, if you sell a piece of art, you must remove a visitor from your gallery (the visitor is leaving with their new work of art!), and when you buy a piece of art, the artist's fame increases, as do potential gallery visitors. Turns require moving your pawn to one of four locations. Each location (and turn) offers two exclusive "action" options. For instance: players can 1) commission or buy art at the Artist Colony, 2) sign a contract or sell art at the Sales Office, 3) promote their artists or hire assistants at the Media Center, or 4) send assistants to the International Market to increase reputation or participate in an auction. Each turn is accompanied by an optional "executive action" phase, when players are given a choice between two additional actions per turn. These actions are nearly always symbiotic and require a keen sense of prioritization to maximize your score. A novel "kicked-out" mechanic allows players to compete for locations at the risk of giving their opponents additional, unearned actions. You'll likely forget several rules during your first several plays, so keep the rulebook handy and expect to consult it a few times.
The Gallerist's gameplay is governed by a few very clever game "timers" that will have you racing to complete your goals before the endgame is triggered. These game timers are not random, arbitrary, nor capricious: there are no dice or "gotcha" moments here. If you run out of time, it's because somebody else maximized theirs. Likewise, if you run out of time during solo play, it's because of cumulative inefficiencies. Plan accordingly.
Overall, The Gallerist is one of the most unique, sophisticated, and elegant board games - both aesthetically and in gameplay - to emerge in the past few decades. It will likely go down as one of the finest games ever conceived. It is a worthwhile pursuit for serious gamers who want a low-luck, heavy-strategy game with many interconnecting pieces that function like a sprawling efficiency puzzle. Its theme is engrossing and contributes heavily to its enjoyability. Two BIG thumbs up to Vital Lacerda and Eagle-Gryphon Games for sharing this masterpiece with the world!
Images in this review
- Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2019
