Villagers & Villains

Published 2011

Theme: "In the untamed wild, villains lurk in wait, terrors haunt dark lairs, tradesfolk seek riches, and heroes come to prove their valor." As the mayor of a frontier town, you stand in the center, eyeing the roads for talent and trouble. Will you take on challenges or hire help, develop your town or command its heroes? Your strategies, risks, and fortune can transform your village into a thriving city or forgotten ruins. Overview: Villagers and Villains is a card game with over 100 unique cards. The game is played over several rounds. Each round has 6 distinct Phases. During each Phase, all players (Mayors) have a chance to take specific actions. The Mayor who builds the most successful village wins. Game play: Villagers and Villains is a building game. In the 1st phase players recruit cards from a common pool neutral to all players. 4 classes of cards could appear in the pool: Challenges, citizens, buildings, and heroes. Each card has different game play applications and different effects on end scoring. In the 2nd phase each player has a chance to defend their town from challenges. In the 3rd phase challenges loot towns left unprotected. The 4th phase is when each town earns money. In the 5th phase money can be spent to expand a town by hiring heroes and citizens or creating buildings. The final phase resets the board for a new round of phases. The starting player changes and rounds continue until a town reaches a fixed size. At that time the game is scored. Goal: In the end each town is scored based on a variety of facets and features. Players have to assess which facet will score the most points as the game is played--and circumstances dictate. Features: The game ships with a basic and advanced version for experienced and novice gamers and special 2-player game rules. In the advanced game players gain access to the king's favor, special card powers, and pairing options for final scoring. In addition, the home site offers a variety of rules variations for added game play. While chance plays a part in the game (via a die-roll for certain elements) choices in recruiting, and how to use town's abilities and resources play a large role. The game includes: 100 different playing cards (challenges, citizens, heroes, buildings) 10 starting cards (5 citizens, 5 angry mobs) 5 player aid cards a die 1 kings favor token 1 start marker 1 score pad 2 punch-out sheets of gold coin tokens rules sheet.

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Villagers & Villains

Game Info

Players
2-5 Players
Time
30 min
Weight
Light-Medium — 1.81/5
Year
2011
BGG Rating
6.62
BGG Rank
#8907
Min Age
9+

Frequently Asked Questions

Villagers & Villains supports 2 to 5 players.
A typical game of Villagers & Villains takes about 30 minutes.
Villagers & Villains has a complexity rating of 1.81/5.00 on BoardGameGeek, placing it in the 'Light' category. It is very accessible and great for new gamers.
The recommended minimum age for Villagers & Villains is 9+. Younger children may enjoy it with guidance from experienced players.
Villagers & Villains has a rating of 6.62/10 on BoardGameGeek, based on 284 ratings. It is ranked #8907 overall.
Villagers & Villains was designed by C. Aaron Kreader. It was published in 2011.