CATAN ARTISAN (Mixed with Azul)
Number-Based Engine Building Meets Island Conquest 🎲 Status: CONCEPT - NEEDS TESTING Players: 2-4 Time: 60-90 minutes Complexity: Medium-Heavy (3.5/5) THE CORE STRATEGIC TENSION Two paths to victory: Aggressive Builder: Draft whatever you need NOW, build settlements fast, race to 10 VP Patient Engineer: Complete number rows to activate permanent production, dominate late game Hybrid Master: Balance immediate building with engine construction The twist: Factory availability forces adaptation every round. You can't always execute your plan!
Shadow Networks: Power & Corruption
What Is This Game? Build corrupt political networks where your public legitimacy conceals hidden criminal enterprises. Use worker placement pressure to compete for limited resources while gradually discovering who shares your objectives through secret alliance meetings. Victory comes from controlling political power through both direct asset placement AND blackmail leverage on opponents' assets. The Core Innovation Three Interlocking Systems: Dual-Layer Networks - Every asset you control exists on two levels: Public Layer: Visible politicians, celebrities, activists everyone sees Hidden Layer: Criminal enterprises, blackmail, shadow operations only you know Progressive Alliance Discovery - NOT free-for-all betrayal: Turn 3: Level 1 Meeting - Street-level criminals meet, discover compatible interests Turn 6: Level 2 Meeting - Professional operators coordinate deeper strategy Turn 9: Level 3 Meeting - Institutional players reveal major objectives Turn 12: Shadow Meeting - Ultimate power brokers negotiate final alliances You only reveal assets from each meeting's level - gradual trust building! Agricola-Style Action Pressure - Limited operatives compete for essential actions: Only ONE player can recruit premium assets each turn Only ONE player can safely launder money each turn Only ONE player can gather intelligence each turn Block opponents from actions they desperately need The Educational Hook: After playing, you'll recognize real-world manipulation patterns - how corrupt networks actually form through shared interests, not random betrayal. What You Need Required: Illuminati (use all group influence cards as "asset deck" - sort by power level) Agricola (just the worker pieces - become "operatives") Pandemic (use event cards as "crisis opportunities" for false flag operations) Additional Components Needed: Money tokens (use poker chips: white = 1MB, red = 5MB, blue = 10MB) Heat markers (use Pandemic's disease cubes - one color per player) Paper for secret note-passing during meetings Central action board (printable - will provide template) Players: 3-6 (best with 4-5) Time: 90-120 minutes Complexity: Hard