Starting with a limited amount of resources and workers, you set out to run your lumber mill as efficiently as possible. Savvy investments and proper planning will ensure that your mill will be the most profitable. Be cautious, however, for competition is fierce! You will need to secure the best cutting areas, make use of limited contract workers, and continually update and replace your equipment. Your competitors are not the only thing to worry about as you will also need to store enough firewood and food to survive the harsh winters.
Lignum is a strategic optimization game that portrays the logging industry in the 19th century. Each round, players travel to the nearby forest, picking up tools and hiring workers along the way. After felling timber, players must decide how to transport their wood to their sawmills and if the wood should be processed or sold immediately, all the while optimizing their entire processing chain.
The second edition of Lignum also includes the "Joinery & Buildings" expansion. In this expansion, players can visit two additional locations along the supply path. Players may now acquire special buildings that give them unique, special abilities for the remainder of the game. Additionally, players can acquire joiners to help generate more income each round; if those joiners are supplied with the appropriate wood, players can earn extra money at the end of the game!
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
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Quotes (from this video)
- hello and welcome to maple University
- how to play lignin second edition
- In lignum players play the role of rivals sawmill owners attempting to run the most profitable sawmill they'll be cutting down trees sawing the wood and selling it for profit.
- The game plays over eight rounds which are divided into the seasons of two years plus the final sales step at the end of the game the player with the most money at the end of the game wins.
- Planning is critical to success in Lignum.
- players need to make sure they have enough money at the right times and make sure they have wood in the right places at the right times.
- The player with the most money wins or in the event of a tie both players win.