Stonemaier Games: Viticulture Essential Edition by Jamey Stegmaier

Viticulture is an excellent mid-weight euro game that sits firmly in the Worker Placement genre. I picked this up to play 2 player games with my wife and am happy to say that we are both very pleased with the game after 4 plays and will be playing it a lot more incorporating the Tuscany essential edition expansion. The components and presentation of the game is beautiful. The board depicts various building spaces to send your workers to obtain various resources (money, cards, points), with spots for the various card decks at the top and a point track at the bottom. The action spaces themselves are basically divided in half with summer actions (mostly for building up) and winter actions (scoring points and creating wine). Each player has an individual playerboard that represents their vineyard with an assortment of different building and worker meeples that they can use for upgrading their vineyard and executing actions. The game feels very well executed at the 2 player level. Each action only has 1 space available (more with more than 2 players) but each player has one "grande" (a bigger worker meeple) that can go to an action space thats occupied. The game involves the use of a lot of cards that represent either types of wine grapes / summer visitors / winter visitors and order cards. There is a flow to the game, where grapes must be planted, then harvested, then made into wine. At the end of each round, grapes and wine age, and you can plan ahead to fulfill an order when your grapes/wine have properly aged. Money is tight, and each player will not be able to do everything in a game. There is also a lot of variability added from the cards. Most visitor cards will offer up two options where players can capitalize by trading resources for points or money. We've noticed that its possible to take a card-focused strategy by building a cottage and then using cards as much as possible throughout the game. Turn order is also very well done in this game, where players can choose something they really need (an extra vine card, coin, point) and it will determine the order that they get to take their turn in. The last point is that the game does not have a set number of rounds, it is more a race to see who can get the first to 20 points which makes the game very exciting as it feels very neck and neck up to the end to see who can squeeze out the couple last points through efficiency. If you enjoy other worker placement games (Stone Age, Agricola, Lords of Waterdeep), Viticulture will likely be right up your alley. Neither my wife or I are wine connoisseurs, but that does not diminish our enjoyment of this game at all. In fact, we've concluded that this game will ultimately replace Agricola for us as there is not nearly as much stress involved during the course of the game. The game still has a good amount of scarcity for actions where one cannot do everything they want to, it is just not as pronounced.

So I finally pulled the trigger and purchased Viticulture, (Essential Edition) (which followed the first and second editions) has a couple things pulled from an earlier expansion (Tuscany, I believe) which make the game far more interesting. One is the introduction of the "Mama" and "Papa" cards (which give you a random setup and starting resources). This is a very nice design element. GAMEPLAY: While I have only played 2-player versions, I can say it is pretty solid. One thing about worker placement games that some people don't like is when you keep getting locked out of an action you want to perform by your opponents. There is a nice design element here, where one worker (the big meeple) which I called "the boss" (maybe call him "il capo" since the game takes place in Italy?) is a larger meeple and that one worker can be placed at a location to do the action, regardless of whether other spaces are available. This lessens the sting of getting blocked over and over. In this game, I never felt the worker placement element was overly cutthroat, and while it was something you worry and plan for, you have that big meeple to save the day. SCORING: there are multiple ways of scoring, and while gaining a point here and there through "visitor" cards might seem minor, that coupled with things like the windmill and/or Tasting room can be a reliable Victory Point generator. However, you really want to go for "order" cards where you sell the wine you've made for bigger VP rewards and passive income. The random distribution of the order cards means you could get many difficult ones early on, meaning if you aim for those, it will take a long time to score. So don't be afraid of drawing more and more "order cards" until you get some easier ones to get you on the road. FINAL ROUND: The rules as written (aka "RAW") says as soon as one player passes the 25VP spot on the VP track, that signals that this is the last round of the game and that players continue to finish their turns for the round and then the game is over. In a few of the games we played this resulted in rather abrupt ends of the game where someone jumped from 20 to 26 points by turning in a big VP order as one of their last actions. So keep in mind that once someone hits 20 points, the game is virtually over unless they have no wine. I am not sure how I feel about this aspect of the game. I will update my review after a few more plays. MINOR NITPICKS: While it is a pretty game, it could probably use a little more iconography to explain things and for ease of use. Also, it would have been useful to have reference cards that only reminded you of the building effects. Again, iconography would have helped. Your player mat kind of spreads out important building upgrades and they are in some slightly awkward positions (I kept bumping my trellis ad my irrigation unit off my board because it is next to where the vine cards go (representing the kinds of grapes you are growing in your vinyard). Another tiny nitpick is the image on the three field cards is meant to mirror the playmat that rests below them, but there is a layout issue (at least with my deck) where the images overlap on the second and third cards and if you are just a tad "OCD" about things, this might bug you a bit. Finally, with all the unique meeples, having round cylinder pieces for the scoreboard was a poor design choice. One good bump of the table and those can fall and roll all over. Simple cubes would have sufficed...or why not wine cask shaped pieces? VERDICT: Stonemeier's first game, this worker placement game is lighter than two of his (company's) other worker placement games, Euphoria and Scythe. It is maybe a tiny bit heavier than their most famous game (...which I play several times a week these days...) Wingspan. It is a very nice game to play, and it is not really confrontational so that can be a real boon if playing with a spouse or partner who doesn't like that kind of thing. A very solid game...well worth the price of a modern Hobbyist game. 8 out of 10 stars.

It's a very nicely put-together worker placement game, with economic development at the heart of it. The mechanics are simple enough, clearly explained, for the most part, and with the bonus feature of a very good 2-page rules summary included. Physical components are of good, durable quality, with fair sized cards (in a tray that allows for the thickness of any sleeves to be used). The game 'scales' well, in that additional places for one's workers become available as player numbers increase. There is also an automaton (cards) to play against, should the need arise; I've yet to try that. I've only played with three, but I didn't feel that there would be an excessive downtime with 5/6, largely because one's own plans have to continuously be updated in the light of others' placements. There's a nice rhythm to the game, as it follows the flow of the seasons, with the actions available in each season making reasonable sense. I particularly liked the 'first player'mechanism (first player gets first choice at getting a reward in Spring, but the better rewards typically require placing one's workers later on in the subsequent seasons). The "Grande" worker mechanism (use an occupied space, once per year) is also a mercy, as it makes it hard to completely block someone, although there is sufficient interaction between players over available and 'bonus' spaces to keep the game interesting. I've yet to play it sufficiently to pretend to be able to comment on the skill versus luck factor. I am confident that the better player will win more games over a series, but any games that includes cards can be marred (or enhanced, depending on viewpoint) by just how those cards happen to fall. A very nice feature, so far, is that there seem to be a number of strategies available to seek to win: it even looks like it's possible to win without actually making any wine. It looks very positive that it's a game where the path to victory requires a flexibility in strategy and a level of knowing when to change objective in the light of the actions of others or the fortunes of the card drawn. There is player interaction, at least in terms of prioritising one's own. The game has the merit of being playable within the claimed 60-90 minute time frame, but is, of course, not dither-proof. I liked it nd 'm looking forward to getting my gamer friends to play it.

A great game that has become one of our favorites. The theme and gameplay suck you in and it feels like you are starting your very own winery. One of my top 10 board games. My wife loves it as well. Our kids really liked it and we have played multiple game sessions with them too. Quality of components and materials is excellent. Game play is smooth and it was well worth the money. A modern classic!

omg omg omg this game is sooooooooo easy to learn, and as many others have mentioned, it is truly beautiful game with cute little cards and beautiful, easy to follow rule manual. At first, I bought this game being skeptical of how fun it would be but bought it because of good reviews. I am glad I listened, I thought the rules were pretty easy for worker placement game and you know how worker placement games can kinda become similar except it comes down to different art and themes. This one is like that but the theme is soooo well executed, you don't really mind the simple, similar mechanic to other worker placement games. 1 round of game is divided into spring and winter season and in spring you put your workers down to jobs related to spring farming jobs like (plowing or buying seeds, etc. I can't really remember exactly what these actions are called) and in winter you put your workers down to actions like harvesting or making wine). The realistic actions make you think you are an actual farmer trying to plant as many different types of grapes as possible and harvesting them and making them into wine and get the most victory points. I love how the specific actions and seasons reminds you of operating an actual farm!!!!! My favorite game is Castle of Burgundy due to high replayability and just so many things you can do to earn your VP and most importantly it makes you really think your expanding your town. This game is not similar because there aren't various ways to earn VP, everyone is doing the same thing, you plant your grape, you harvest them, combine the grapes into wine, but everyone is so focused on doing the same job and trying to have the most successful grape vineyard!!!!! It's great. Love this game!!!! I ask my bf to play this game all the time!!!!! He hates it now because this and CoB is like the only game I ask him to play!!!!!!!!!!! I'm gonna ask him again right now after I submit this review

We are a game-loving family, and recently got this game. You are the owners of vineyards, and whoever can run their vineyard most efficiently wins the game. It is a very straightforward worker placement game, where you have a couple of workers to start with, but can train more workers as you go. Each round is considered a year, and in each season you can have your workers take different actions. In the summer, you can build structures necessary to run a vineyard,, give tours to make money, plant grapes, sell your fields, or have visitors come who can help you in some way. Winter spaces are focused on the winemaking, harvesting grapes, making wine, storing it in your wine cellars, filling wine orders and hiring more workers to help out around the vineyard. Winter visitors can also come to help you, and you never know what your opponents visitors have up their sleeves! The game plays smoothly and once you understand the structure of turns, it is very easy to play and so much fun. There are many different strategies that can bring you to the end goal the fastest, and the use of visitor cards give you so much re-playability, you can play it often and never tire of it! We have a lot of games, but this is my favorite! When our adult kids come to visit, this is the game they want to play! Don't even hesitate or think twice about it, this is a great game! We also have the Moor Visitors and Rhine Valley visitor expansion cards which enhances the gameplay. Did I mention you place a rooster at the beginning of the season to determine "wake up" order? Love it!

Viticulture is a clever worker placement game that tasks players with managing their own vinyard to make and sell wine. If you're unfamiliar with worker placement games, the main mechanic involves placing your meeples (in this case vineyard workers) at various locations on the game board that give you different abilities, from gaining new grapevines to bottling and selling your wine to receiving guests. However, space at each location is limited, so you must shrewdly prioritize the actions you want to perform lest your opponents take up the spots before you. I'm a big fan of worker placement games, and Viticulture didn't disappoint, in large part due to its well-implemented and wholly unique theme. Pros: + Unique theme! Viticulture eschews the typical adventuring and farming themes of other worker placement games for something completely unique. Sure, a vinyard is technically a farm, but the goals you're trying to achieve, and the ways you go about achieving them, feel significantly different from...well, pretty much any other game out there! + Interesting mechanics: Growing grapes, pressing them, and aging your wine are all intriguing mechanics I haven't seen in other games, and are conveyed beautifully through the use of clear and red glass beads that you place on your vinyard board. + Tons of strategy: There are a lot of character and visitor cards that give you unique abilities you can use, leading to tons of interesting choices and replayability. + Lots of great options: This is one of those games where you always feel like you have good options and always want to do a ton of different things on your turn. Even when other players take the spots you want, you don't feel boxed out or left without worthwhile choices. + Great sense of progression and the passing of time: As the game progresses your vinyard upgrades pay off in satisfying ways. The sense of passing time, both in the different seasons and the aging of your grapes and wine over the years, nicely fits with the theme of wine-making. + The box and game board features great art, and the wooden and glass components are stellar. + Pairs well with actual wine. Cons: - The game can be looooong! The first two-person game my wife and I played took about three hours (though that included learning time). We both remained engaged throughout, however, so it didn't FEEL too long. - I'm not a huge fan of the character art on some of the cards, which I believe are based on Kickstarter backers. Either way they feel a bit out of place. - Stacking up vine cards on your land plots can be a bit fiddly. - The game is quite "thinky," and players prone to analysis paralysis can really slow down play. - Some may find the theme dry and boring. Shame on you if you do! :P Ultimately, Viticulture feels like one of those rare treats: A uniquely themed game packed with clever mechanics and intriguing strategy, and plenty of replayability. Like wine-making itself, Viticulture requires a significant commitment in terms of time and effort, but the results are definitely worth it.

This game is beautiful! From the artwork to the many structural pieces to the theme and design. Stonemaier games used a lot of thought and care in designing one of the most unique games I have played. You are running a vineyard in Tuscany and have workers who help you on your farm from Spring through summer, the fall harvest and into winter. From selecting your turn order by a placement of a rooster to deciding if it’s more important to plant grapes or build structures for your farm in the summer, to helpful visitors in summer and winter who offer choices to help further you farm.. and of course harvesting grapes using clear beads that magnify the grape age, and then processing those grapes into red, white or blush wine or sparkling wine and filling orders for your vineyard. I don’t think the designers left one thing to chance and everything was thought out and the components are superb and high quality right down to the upside down St.Louis Arch as the”V” for viticulture and on the coins.. I grew in St.Louis and recognized the subtle symbol of Stonemaier’s home town location immediately. This is an amazing game, but it takes time to learn, with excellent descriptive instructions, it can be done- my 11 yr old just beat my husband and I handily and it was his 3rd time playing. I love the artwork, such time and thought went into every aspect of this game. Our first run we played it with a glass of wine and Italian music in the background, someday I’ll get to Tuscany, but for now I have Viticulture!

This game has been a great success. It’s a great two player game and also multiplayer. The dynamic of the multiplayer game changes game tactics. The game itself is easy to learn - the first round can be a bit confusing but once you play the first round you’ll have picked it up. There is a range of different tactics to play so game play remains fun. I’d recommend this game.

Love the game^^

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One of the most well-balanced and structured board game, with heavy reliance on strategy. The build quality and graphics are excellent. The board map design could be better, but the overall gameplay has no drawbacks. Although quite complicated with a learning curve, the unique gameplay makes it well worth learning and it flows quite smoothly once you get used to it. Good enough for an evening of family fun. Smart enough to involve a variety of players. And you can make teams if it feels too complicated. For me, it’s good value for money for the quality and uniqueness of gameplay.

Game arrived a day early in perfect condition. After a few play throughs I can honestly say this is one of my favourite games right now. Quick and easy set up, quality components, visually appealing and can accommodate between 1-6 players. Worker placement, engine builder euro. Highly recommend this game.