In Counterfeiters, players take on the title role, printing fake bills and exchanging them for the real thing. The Godfather can help them avoid the police, but his protection comes at a cost. The game ends when the police complete their investigations into the counterfeiting industry, and the player with the most real (i.e., non-counterfeit) money wins!
The game is situated in Miami, Florida and lets players compete to be the best counterfeiter. Players assume the role of anthropomorphic figures and while being protected by the godfather, they try not to pay him too much for the offered protection. Meanwhile, the police is investigating the counterfeiting industry, quickly making lower quality counterfeited money useless.
Players each have three animal pawns and place them in turn order, immediately executing the associated action. Players can buy component cards on the black market, improving their opportunities for both printing fake money and processing it. Of course, players will exchange their fake money for real money and try to keep it away from the godfather by putting it away in an offshore account...
—description from the publisher
- art and components are visually striking; large, chunky worker pieces in a compact box
- fast, 25–30 minute feel in practice
- interesting laundering engine once set up
- no single standout moment or hook
- rules feel concise but can be easy to misinterpret without a proper read
- crime, counterfeiting, money laundering
- counterfeit money and laundering into real money within a criminal underworld context
- tactical engine-building with a crime motif
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card drafting from a black market — draft cards that can improve printing capacity and provide printers and other assets
- engine-building and laundering — combine printed counterfeit bills and upgrades to improve laundering capacity; aim to accumulate real money
- timed risk mechanic with police — police token moves along a track and ends the game when it reaches the end; Godfather mechanic can force losses
- worker placement — three workers across two spots; placement constrained by occupancy
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the art is stunning it's got just a beautiful cover on the front
- adorable art this game is called Q Birds
- this might be the best game that I played this year
- the way all of the stuff bounces around is incredibly satisfying on a tactical and strategic level
- it's a lightweight set collection hand management style game
- this is easily the best of this trilogy
- Spring Meadow does it really well
- Underwater Cities might be the best game that I played this year
- Winner's Circle is still really good