Alhambra Board Game

One of my favorite board games. Like many other of my favorites, it is one we are able to play with a 9 year old girl (though she never wins because she cannot yet grasp the strategy). Expansions are good and fun, but not necessarily "must haves."

I've recently been able to play a number of games of Alhambra with my family. Cutting to the bottom line: Alhambra is a lot of fun. I highly recommend the game for those who have begun to explore the world of non-traditional board games. Now, for the details: Alhambra is an attractive game with well made pieces. It should stand up well to a lot of play. The general idea is to get money pieces and use them to buy buildings to add to your garden/palace of Alhambra. Each player builds there own Alhambra, and points are awarded 3 times during the game to the player with the most (and second most, and ultimately third most) of each type of building. Sounds pretty simple, and it is. Middle schoolers and up should have no trouble figuring out how to play the game. What makes this game fun? Alhambra has a moderate degree of luck (which money and buildings are available for each player, and when the first two scoring rounds occur) mixed with opportunities for strategy. Generall... Read more

I own dozens of games, many of them the German-style games (like Alhambra) that are more based on strategy than luck. This game is probably my favorite one of all. It is a tile-laying game, where you try to build up your own complex by buying additional tiles. It only takes a few minutes to learn but turns out to be rather thought-provoking. I also like that there isn't really a destructive component to this game (i.e. like in other games where you can "take" or "destroy" parts of what other players have built up). Each player merely sets out to build as big a complex as possible, while keeping in mind that different types of additions to one's complex allows one to be dominant in this field. (For example, you can have a smaller complex than your opponent, but have more tiles of greater worth in the category of "gardens," hence meaning you are dominant in this sub-category. This is where strategic calculation really comes in play.) If you are only going to buy one game, I would... Read more

Being fans of Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride, we thought that we had to give another recipient of the Spiel Des Jahres Game of the Year award a try. Though there are a lot of pieces and a lot of different strategic points to bear in mind as you play, it's easy to learn and you pick up the subtleties over time. Sure, I have yet to win a single game that we've played, but I'm getting closer.

Alhambra is a great game plain and simple. It is suitable for children who can perform basic math and people who are not "gamers". The basics: Everyone is dealt money cards and the object is to by pieces of your Alhambra (castle or house, if you will). If you pay the exact amount then you get another turn. At the end of each round, whomever has the most of one color gets X points. There are certain rules that govern how you may place your tiles, for example, you must be able to get to the center of your structure without leaving it (so your walls can not isolate different rooms from the center). The tile laying is the most complex part of the game but that is not saying too much. If you can't buy a piece of your Alhambra then you can draw money instead. There is a little more to it but that is the basics. Quality: Everything from the board to the cards is really very nice. The scoring markers are made out of wood and not plastic, the cards are nice, the board is decor... Read more