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Game Info
Year
2006
Players
2-4
Age
10+
Playtime
60 min
Collection
Your Tier
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Description
Designed by Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc, Cleopatra and the Society of Architects is a fun and engaging family game that includes a true, three-dimensional palace that players compete to build. Players strive to become the wealthiest of Cleopatra’s architects by constructing the most magnificent and valuable parts of her palace.
Players, however, will be tempted to deal with shady characters and trade in materials of dubious origins in order to help them build faster. While these corrupt practices might allow an architect to stay a step ahead of the rest, they come with a high price – cursed Corruption Amulets honoring Sobek, the Crocodile-god. When Cleopatra finally strolls into her new palace, at the end of the game, the most corrupt architect (the one with the most amulets) will be seized and offered as a sacrifice to her sacred crocodile! Only then will the wealthiest architect, from among those still alive, be selected and declared the winner of the game.
“The component design in Cleopatra is the most innovative we’ve undertaken to date,” said Days of Wonder CEO, Eric Hautemont. “While it’s still a board game, the dozens of 3D pieces – Column walls, Doorframes, Obelisks, Sphinxes, and Palace Throne – all create the sense that you’re constructing a royal palace.”
“The game play really forces players into continually weighing the risks and rewards between taking enough corruption to enhance your position in the game, but not so much that you are forced out of the game at the end,” said the game’s co-designer, Bruno Cathala. “It’s a classic ‘push your luck’ dilemma that continually raises the tension level higher and higher until the game reaches its climax.”
Description from the publisher.
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All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 5
This page: 5
Sentiment:
pos 2 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 1
Showing 1–5 of 5
Video RkbEghninkE
Game Night Picks - Pair Of Dice Paradise Discussion at 2:14 sentiment: positive
video_pk 91670 · mention_pk 246027
Click to watch at 2:14 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- New edition coming to Kickstarter.
- Features a 3D palace built from pieces without box support.
- New graphic design, revised rulebook, and balanced tiles.
- New system for managing character cards.
Cons
- Original version is out of print and hard to find.
- Kickstarter campaign has been pushed back.
- Player count reduced from 3-5 to 2-4 players.
Thematic elements
- Building a three-dimensional palace.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Cooperative Building — Players compete to build a three-dimensional palace together.
- Resource Management — Changes to how resource cards are used.
- Worker Placement — Activating the great priest and managing character cards.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- The Leaders expansion for Seven Wonders Duel was created by a fan of the game Michael Gallo.
- what makes Cleopatra kin to the Society of Architects so interesting to me is that includes a three-dimensional palace that players compete to build together
- Nut is another super slim streamlined card game from Chris Handy the maker of hue gem fly big bus boo box and a bunch of other games with a similar slim form factor and three letter titles
- A cool mechanism in both games remains the same the last player in line takes a tile from a time track advancing it as far as they wish then after paying the tiles cost they place it in their territory and activate it in all the jacent tiles
- die hard the Nakatomi heist board game uses a one versus many asymmetric gameplay to pit protagonist John McClane against others acting as thieves who are cooperating to foil the hero's plan which is to save the hostages in the iconic Nakatomi Plaza high-rise
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video C2Wv9d3HxNQ
Board Gaming Ramblings Discussion at 6:23
video_pk 85358 · mention_pk 218508
Click to watch at 6:23 · YouTube ↗
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Architecture
- Ancient Egypt
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- My biggest let down is the rules for uh Transgalactica.
- I think it's fun that a game can be the biggest disappointment and number one in the same month.
- It's an old school Euro. Like it's high interaction, very low on the rules overhead, but a lot of interesting choices.
- I still am unbeaten in Shipyard, which I think I I just have to stop playing it now because at some time I will not I will not win.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video WspRYIDrHDU
Chairman of the Board Discussion at 0:34 sentiment: negative
video_pk 81534 · mention_pk 203031
Click to watch at 0:34 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
- family-friendly and approachable
- neat drafting system
Cons
- mechanics feel lax and non-cerebral
- drawing and card management can be monotonous
- nostalgia may bias perception but does not compensate for gameplay depth
Thematic elements
- building a palace through card drafting and resource collection
- Palace of Cleopatra (ancient Egypt) with sphinxes, obelisks, doors, walls, and a garden mosaic
- tile/card drafting with a building construction arc
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- building iconic palace components — cards are cashed in to build sphinx, obelisks, doors, walls, and mosaic gardens, scoring based on draw probabilities
- Card Drafting — you draw from a stack of cards and the other stacks top up, increasing incentive to take certain piles
- card drafting with top-up piles — you draw from a stack of cards and the other stacks top up, increasing incentive to take certain piles
- coin economy with penalties — coins can cause negative points; they can be cashed in or spent to manage scoring penalties
- worker requirements per build — each build requires a certain combination of workers and card types
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the box is massive and the game is pretty lightweight
- the idea of this game is fairly simple
- I can't really recommend this one
- it's actually a nice little game to try
- one-trick pony. It definitely is a gimmick, but it's a gimmick that works
- it's too dry. There's no real flavor here
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video NJ35kkIbnxE
The Broken Meeple Top List at 12:10
video_pk 8470 · mention_pk 24923
Click to watch at 12:10 · YouTube ↗
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's just like I say if you wanted me to write these it's a case of how often do I see it versus how much it annoys me when I see it
- it's only a game take care just have fun
- we'll have this done in about an hour and a half tops
- stop the whiner and Mona deserves at a free spot
- it's not a life-or-death decision and move on
- just pick one and go with it live with the consequences of your actions
- this is the not paying attention thing but the aftermath of not paying attention during the rules explanation
- it's like shut up like I don't need to know all this
- it's childish it's just plain simple childish
- it's only a game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video u7gTHI5ya_g
The Dice Tower Top List at 1:01:10 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4838 · mention_pk 14229
Click to watch at 1:01:10 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Smart market mechanics that affect decision making
- Appealing presentation and theme
Cons
- Some versions criticized for deluxe components relative to weight
Thematic elements
- Monument-building with market mechanics
- Ancient Egypt-inspired architecture contest
- Household-iconic theme with modern production
Comparison games
- Machi Koro (market and build feel, but with different scope)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- market drafting — Face-up market of cards with a mixed up pricing mechanic
- Modular Board — Construct monuments and manage market cards to gain benefits
- Modular board with tiles and market cards — Construct monuments and manage market cards to gain benefits
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- you can't stop
- the more people are into it, the better it is
- it's a Dice Tower essential
- a masquerade of classic and modern designs
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–5 of 5