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Colony
240–360m2–6p2001
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The Colonists
Lookout Games · 2016
1–430–360 min12+ yrs4.1/5 complexity7.5 BGG#750 BGG8,4 KCouplesStrategy
⚡ short answer
How do you play The Colonists?
The primary objective of The Colonists is to accumulate the most wealth by the end of the final era. Wealth is calculated based on several factors, including the value of buildings constructed, embassies established, improvements made, the amount of dollars accumulated, and the number of active workers in a player's community. The player with the highest total wealth at the conclusion of the game is declared the winner.
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Not available new in shops
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the rules in 60 seconds▶ auto · 1/6
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01
Setup
Each player gets a player board, a steward, and a resource track card; building tiles, resource tiles, and market cards are separated by type; era tiles are separated by era; the main board is set up by players placing starting places and market tiles, then shuffling and placing era 1 tiles face up; players receive starting resources.
The rules, step by step
Setup
To set up the game, each player receives a player board, a steward of a particular color, and a resource track card. Building tiles (farms, factories), resource tiles, and market cards are separated into distinct piles by their type. Era tiles, which make up the main game board, are separated by era. Players then take turns placing original building tiles (excluding the day laborer) and two market tiles on the main board, ensuring market tiles are at least two spaces apart. The era 1 tiles are shuffled and three are placed face up. Players receive starting resources: six tools, a combination of three wood/clay to fill their basic storage, and one food for their warehouse. Four embassies are chosen at random and placed near the main board.
Objective
The primary objective of The Colonists is to accumulate the most wealth by the end of the final era. Wealth is calculated based on several factors, including the value of buildings constructed, embassies established, improvements made, the amount of dollars accumulated, and the number of active workers in a player's community. The player with the highest total wealth at the conclusion of the game is declared the winner.
On your turn
The game progresses through a series of eras, with each era consisting of five years. Each year is further divided into two rounds: a summer round and a winter round, each representing six months of game time. During each round, players take three consecutive turns. On a turn, a player moves their steward from one place to another on the main game board and performs the action associated with that place. Actions can include gaining resources, constructing buildings, upgrading existing structures, or making improvements to their community.
Scoring
Final scoring occurs after the last year of the final era. Players tally their wealth based on the value of their buildings, the number of embassies they have established, the improvements they have made, their accumulated dollars, and the number of active workers in their community. The player with the highest total wealth wins the game.
Game end
The game concludes after the final year of the last era, which is determined at the beginning of the game. Once all end-of-year actions for the final year of the final era have been completed, players proceed directly to the final scoring phase to determine the winner.
Tips
During a player's three consecutive turns in a round, they can choose to move their steward to any market tile on the main board for one turn, allowing them to perform one of the three actions listed on the current market card. If a player moves to a diplomat space, they can build or upgrade an embassy by paying the listed resources, gaining its benefits. Resources produced by buildings can be left on the building as a 'buffer' or moved to storage/warehouse for immediate use. If a buffered resource is not moved off the building, that building will not produce resources in the next production phase. Building a storage shed allows players to carry more goods and resources. Workers are essential for activating production from certain buildings at the end of the year.
game anatomy
Complexity4.1 / 5
BGG rating7.5 / 10
Vibe
CouplesStrategy
Language dependence
Moderate text — a crib sheet helps
Play time
30–360 min
Players
1–4
Recommended age
12+ yrs
BGG rank
#750
from Trișache · verified
Frequently asked questions
Q1What is the goal of the game?
The primary objective of The Colonists is to accumulate the most wealth by the end of the final era. Wealth is calculated based on several factors, including the value of buildings constructed, embassies established, improvements made, the amount of dollars accumulated, and the number of active workers in a player's community. The player with the highest total wealth at the conclusion of the game is declared the winner.
Q2How do you set up the game?
To set up the game, each player receives a player board, a steward of a particular color, and a resource track card. Building tiles (farms, factories), resource tiles, and market cards are separated into distinct piles by their type. Era tiles, which make up the main game board, are separated by era. Players then take turns placing original building tiles (excluding the day laborer) and two market tiles on the main board, ensuring market tiles are at least two spaces apart. The era 1 tiles are shuffled and three are placed face up. Players receive starting resources: six tools, a combination of three wood/clay to fill their basic storage, and one food for their warehouse. Four embassies are chosen at random and placed near the main board.
Q3How does a turn work?
The game progresses through a series of eras, with each era consisting of five years. Each year is further divided into two rounds: a summer round and a winter round, each representing six months of game time. During each round, players take three consecutive turns. On a turn, a player moves their steward from one place to another on the main game board and performs the action associated with that place. Actions can include gaining resources, constructing buildings, upgrading existing structures, or making improvements to their community.
Q4How is scoring calculated?
Final scoring occurs after the last year of the final era. Players tally their wealth based on the value of their buildings, the number of embassies they have established, the improvements they have made, their accumulated dollars, and the number of active workers in their community. The player with the highest total wealth wins the game.
Q5When and how does the game end?
The game concludes after the final year of the last era, which is determined at the beginning of the game. Once all end-of-year actions for the final year of the final era have been completed, players proceed directly to the final scoring phase to determine the winner.
Q6What tips are there for beginners?
During a player's three consecutive turns in a round, they can choose to move their steward to any market tile on the main board for one turn, allowing them to perform one of the three actions listed on the current market card. If a player moves to a diplomat space, they can build or upgrade an embassy by paying the listed resources, gaining its benefits. Resources produced by buildings can be left on the building as a 'buffer' or moved to storage/warehouse for immediate use. If a buffered resource is not moved off the building, that building will not produce resources in the next production phase. Building a storage shed allows players to carry more goods and resources. Workers are essential for activating production from certain buildings at the end of the year.
Q7How much does The Colonists cost?
No store is currently tracking The Colonists. Check the Prices tab — you can set a price alert to be notified when it appears.
Q8Where can I buy The Colonists cheapest?
Check the Prices tab — howtoplay.ro aggregates offers from 7+ Romanian board-game stores and tracks price history.
Q9How do you play The Colonists?
The Colonists is a civilization game, for 1–4 players, taking ~30–360 minutes, featuring area movement. Check the Rules tab for setup, gameplay, and scoring, or ask Trișache anything about The Colonists — our AI assistant built by howtoplay.ro and trained specifically on board game rulebooks.
Q10How many players does The Colonists support?
The Colonists is played by 1–4 players.
Right now, none of the shops we track sells The Colonists new.
Mechanics & categories
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