Board Game Event: Terra Mystica

Join us at Pandemonium for a special, 4-hour session to learn and play a game we wouldn’t normally be able to feature! You’re especially welcome if you’ve never before played hobby board games (and want to try one of the best).

What is this event all about?

Every other week, we select 1-2 games from Pandemonium’s demo library to teach and play. Because of time restrictions, any games we choose have to finish in two hours or less. This format has been popular now for more than a year.

What this means, however, is that some of the best games in our library never get to make it to the table because they extend beyond two hours. But every so often – like tonight – we agree to meet a little earlier to learn and play one of these games. Tonight, that game is Terra Mystica.

What is Terra Mystica?

Terra Mystica is a competitive game for 1-5 players about creating the best city for one of the 14 playable – and very different – fantasy peoples of the game. The wrinkle that makes this game interesting is that each faction prefers one of the seven different terrain types on the map, and you can’t build anything on a space until you have enough workers and money to terraform it.

As such, it’s a game of profound strategy where you not only have to think about what lands you’ll terraform, but when you’ll take these actions to build (and upgrade). Resources flow predictability but not fast enough – and you’re not the only one trying to win the game. There’s zero randomness and a whole lot of systems within systems to understand, but this game rewards the effort it takes to learn with a deeply rich and mentally invigorating experience.

This will be the first time we play it at the store, and as such, it will be our first chance getting to see how the game works and how we can best support playing it in future sessions. Therefore, this is a learning game, and if you want to play competitively, this may not be the best session to join (unless you’re willing to help us learn at the table!).

But, if you’ve played it before and are feeling a little rusty – or you want to give it a try – join us at 5:00 p.m. to learn the rules and start playing. And if you like the idea of a game where decisions on what you build in earlier turns influences the choices you can make later (but you don’t have four hours), we’ll also have Foundations of Rome ready to demo at approximately 6:00 p.m.. 

So if you ever wanted to learn these games or just want to spend time with others who like playing games, come on out! And if you aren’t feeling either of these games, stay tuned for announcements of the next several sessions where – in keeping with the times – our games will be much more haunting in nature. Stay tuned!

RULES FOR ATTENDING: 

• Proof of COVID vaccination is required at EVERY EVENT. Either the presentation of the physical card or a clear picture will suffice. Pandemonium does not keep any records, written or otherwise, of vaccination status.
• Advance online registration is required.
• Anyone not registered in an ongoing event will not be allowed in the event space to maintain capacity limits.
• No food will be allowed in our event space for the time being. Drinking is allowed.