Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale | Award-Winning Game of Fantasy Map Drawing | Strategy Board Game | Flip and Write | Family Game for 1-100 Players | 30-45 Minutes

If you're not already heavy into board games, this one might but just a bit challenging at the beginning to learn. Totally doable, just a bit more complex if you're someone who is used to games like Uno, Monopoly, etc.If you're heavy into board games (have a library, your second home is Board Game Geek, etc), you'll pick it up no problem.The idea is you're mapping your explorations for queen. You'll get Tetris looking shapes and will choose what type of symbol to use for that area and fit it on your map made up for grid squares. You score by making sure your map meets certain criteria (each game is different), like having farm touching water, or filling a whole row or column, etc.Every so often, you'll draw an ambush card where you have to pass your map to someone next to you and they fill in monster symbols according to the shape given on the card, which is meant to foil your point plans and get you negative points.Fun game with infinite replayability and pretty much unlimited player count.Good for game night, travel game (we've played on flights), and even 2 players.

We love to play board and card games and are always looking for a new favorite. Cartographers is it! We bought this game just before going on family vacation, and brought it along as part of our box of games. The whole week, we played 1-2 other games once each, but played multiple rounds of Cartographers nearly every day! It is compact, has infinite replay-ability, is quick and easy to learn, and is just a ton of fun. We have purchased the expansion map packs and also have even created some of our own maps as well! I anticipate this being a staple for many game nights to come!

I am an avid board game player for the past four years. I was introduced to the "Cartographers" a year or so ago at a board game night with friends. It was a different experience, and I knew I had to pick it up eventually for myself.The game is easy to learn, and similar to Tetris. You (and up to 100 friends) simply need to draw a card and then physically "draw" that shape onto your paper to claim a piece of land (either forests, water, houses, or farmland). Each game is unique with different rules and placement. If you get tired of the starting map there is also an additional harder map on the back with less room to build on.I introduced my parents to this game as well, and they picked it up fairly quickly. This is a great game to get out without too much setup. There are also DLC packs I'm looking to buy eventually with different maps and things to do.

-Gameplay is straightforward. You flip over a card, you draw it on your map. If you get a ruins card, you are limited in where you can draw it, otherwise, draw it anywhere that fits. Do this until enough "time" elapses that the current season ends. The game ends at the end of winter.-There are 16 objective cards (four sets of four) out of which four get chosen for each game (one from each set). These are randomly placed as A,B,C and D, two of which will be scored each round (AB, then BC, then CD, then DA).-There are two major strategy elements to each game: figuring out where to place pieces, and figuring out which objectives to pursue. Different objectives can give more points, but may require more time and/or skill to accomplish, and so it's not just which objectives are present, but when they will be scored that will determine which you pursue.-This game is not, however, just multiplayer solitaire. When monster cards show up, you pass your map in the direction indicated on the card, and they place the monsters wherever they want on your map. This can foul up your designs, and each empty space beside a monster square dings you a point.-Components are well made. It's basically just map sheets, pencils and cards. The map sheets have a space for a coat of arms, motto and title, which are nicely done, as well as a well designed scoring area. The pencils and cards are pretty standard.-This game is easy enough to pick up that even young children can have fun playing, but the strategy is sufficient that the best player will usually win. A game that can be enjoyed many times...I highly recommend.

My husband was all excited about this game. I had doubts it is basically just papers. Hmmm...My hesitation was unfounded. We have played it with our kids. They enjoyed it. My nephew who does not like games enjoyed making intricate drawings. The college kids played after church, and they all could play at once with no real player limit. My MIL who is easily confused by rules caught on in record time.For such a small box, there is a lot fun.

Simple, fun game with endlessly replayability.

Great game and the number of players is unlimited.

What do you get for $20?* Pad of blank maps to draw your maps on* 4 Pencils* Cards: Explore Cards, Score Cards, Season Cards, Ambush Cards, etc.* RulebookThe cards really push this game's value to $20. If it didn't have the cards then it would just be another print-and-play game. I think you're getting a lot of value from one little box.As for my experience with the game, I think it was really fun. Every time an explore card is flipped you're trying to figure out exactly where to place it in order to maximize your score. Everyone can draw at the same time so no one is really waiting for too long before another card is flipped. By the end of the game, you're dreading some of the choices you've made along the way but everyone else is too.Simple, fun, good, and worth the price.