The Gamefound campaign for “Tabriz”, the next worker placement board game from award-winning designer Randy Flynn, has just launched! The game will be published by Crafty Games, the board game studio behind the book-to-boardgame transition of Brandon Sanderson’s “Mistborn” series.
The game is set in the ancient Persian city of Tabriz, where players take on the role of carpet weavers. Their goal is to become the best carpet weaver in the city. Much like the ancient craftsman of old, this is done with a lot of hard work and by doing commissions. Like every starting merchant, their first commissions will be easy, but the more they complete, the more their prestige will grow. Eventually, the aristocracy will start to take notice. This is how players will win a game of “Tabriz” – whoever has the most acquired prestige at the end of the game will be declared the winner and become the undisputed master of the art of carpet weaving!
Become the Ultimate Carpet Weaver and Rule the Markets
As we all know, however, the climb to the top is never easy. Players will quickly discover that the resources for weaving carpets are limited and difficult to come by – just like in ancient times. As a worker placement game, players start their turn by moving one of their 3 workshop assistants through Tabriz’s Grand Bazaar and take the action where it lands. They have limited movement range, so careful planning is needed to get the best deals possible. Once the assistants reach their destination three types of actions the assistants can – buying, trading or rolling dice for random resources (if applicable). Buying and trading will happen at the regular shops, which can offer one or two products at a cost. The market fluctuates each round, so players can choose to either buy the goods immediately or wait for a better price, but there is no guarantee that the price won’t go up!
There are other ways of obtaining resources, however – the infamous black markets. It is there where the dice rolling happens. If players are feeling lucky, they can buy up to 5 dice rolls at the Back Alley Market. Whatever resource the die casts – they get to keep. Overall, it’s a really fun way to spice up the game and please those who like weaving on the edge.
Regardless of which way players choose to obtain their resources, they may complete one commission each round, provided they have the required materials for it. Some commissions allow you to level up your skill, which will reward players with extra actions and . The game ends when a player completes 9 or more commissions, or gains the max skill points – 14. Once one of those two conditions are met, the round ends and the player with the most prestige is declared the winner.
“Tabriz” will also include a robust solo mode experience, where players will have to deal with multiple AI opponents. A game of “Tabriz” is suitable for 1-5 players ages 10 and up, and a single session takes about 45 minutes.
The Kickstarter campaign is still extremely young, so stay tuned for more news about “Tabriz” in the future!