Tabriz Board Game Review
Resource management and contract fulfillment games are a lot of fun, and I love when completing contracts provides ongoing rewards as you play. Tabriz has this in spades, and while the experience was may be a bit lighter than I would want regularly, it’s a great game to take out with people who don’t love heavy, long experiences. With a quick play time and early to learn rules, Tabriz is incredibly approachable, despite a 14+ rating on the box (which I would just ignore).
In Tabriz, players will be moving their workers around a board along walking paths, collecting different dies and fabric, and attempt to make beautiful carpets for prospective buyers. Some places simply sell you resources for coins, with some resources being more expensive than others. Other locations allow you to roll dice and see what resources you get, and still others allow you to trade some of a resource for some of another resource. Movement needs to be planned carefully as workers can only move 3 (and later in the game, 4) spaces each. After one player completes 9 contracts or gets 14 experience, the game end triggers and when that is done the player with the most points wins.
What makes Tabriz so attractive is the simplicity of it all. The production here is top notch, and it’s one of the better looking, light games available on the market; I purchased the metal coins to add a bit of flare to my experience, but even without them, this is a solid title to look at. And it’s easy to play. Get contracts, move workers, collect goods, and fulfill contracts. Points only come from a few sources, and most are earned during the game so you always know where you stand against the competition. A game of Tabriz with 4 or 5 players is only going to last you about an hour as well, so it’s quite attractive for a lot of different reasons.
For some, Tabriz is going to be way to light of an experience. Your workers are tied to locations that are 3 or 4 spaces away maximum, and the turns of others will really determine what you decide to do on your turn. Want the green die but someone took that last round? Guess you need a new option. There are always places to get things even when the market tiles are depleted, but they are a bit more risky. There is a delicate balance of aiming to purchase a known quality of goods for a set price, and risking die roles and either paying a lot of money or risk getting nothing at all.
Either way, unless you really aren’t trying, games are always generally close. Our games only had a few points separating the winners and the loser, and we even had a few instances when someone triggering the game end actually made them lose instead of win. There are plenty of decisions to be made in this game that make you feel good, but not so much that you can’t enjoy some light conversation and good laughs while you play. It’s light enough to play with my pre-teens, but still engaging enough for my older gaming group to enjoy.
Overall, Tabriz isn’t trying to be anything it’s not – it’s a light weight, fulfillment game that lands very firmly in the light game category. But if you enjoy that from time-to-time, then this is one worth getting into!
Article By Adam
