Solenia*

Solenia is a beautifully thematic board game that takes players on a journey across a unique planet divided into eternal day and eternal night. Each player acts as a space traveler, delivering essential goods to the inhabitants of both hemispheres, with the Day people needing rare gems and stones, and the Night people requiring basic supplies like wood and wheat. The goal is to be the most efficient in these deliveries to earn gold stars, which determine the winner at the game's conclusion.

Gameplay Overview

  • Card Placement Mechanics: Players strategically place one card per round on a 5x5 board. Cards can either gather resources from production islands or fulfill delivery requirements at floating cities.
  • Resource Management: The type and amount of resources collected depend on the value of the card played and the specific needs of the delivery tiles in the floating cities.
  • Dynamic Board: The airship at the center guides card placement, and the board continuously evolves as the airship moves and parts of the board are rotated, reflecting the passage of time from day to night and back.

Strategic Elements

  • Adjacent Play Requirement: Cards must be played adjacent to the airship or a previously played card, adding a layer of spatial strategy and planning.
  • Evolving Game Board: As the game progresses, the board shifts, requiring players to adapt their strategies based on the changing availability of resources and delivery spots.

Game End and Scoring

  • Game Progression: The game lasts 16 rounds, aligning with each player using all 16 of their cards.
  • Winning Condition: After all cards are played, the player with the most gold stars, earned through efficient deliveries and resource management, wins the game.

Conclusion

Solenia offers a compelling mix of strategy, resource management, and adaptability, set against a backdrop of a visually striking and thematically rich game world. Players must carefully plan their moves and adapt to the evolving board to ensure they can meet the demands of both hemispheres efficiently. With its innovative mechanics and engaging gameplay, Solenia is ideal for players looking for a thoughtful yet accessible game that combines straightforward mechanics with deep strategic potential.

Nominated for 3 awards.

  • 1 - 4 Players
  • 30 - 45 Minutes
  • 10+ years old
  • Easy to learn

Video reviews, ratings, Let's Plays and tests for Solenia

  • YouTube Review for the game "Solenia" by BoardGameGeek
    Video is in English

We like Solenia so much that we recommend it in the following board game recommendation lists 2024

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