The Estates*
The Estates is a competitive auction and building game where players become real estate investors in a newly zoned urban area. The game challenges 2 to 5 players to develop high-end infrastructure across the city, balancing ambitions with the city council's regulations. The aim is to profit from constructing buildings while navigating the risks of an evolving urban landscape.
Gameplay Overview
- Auction Mechanic: Bid on building pieces to strategically place them within The Estates.
- Strategic Building Placement: Develop two rows of buildings between the River and Main Street, with a third row starting illegally beyond the River.
- City Council's Ultimatum: Only completed rows score positive points, while incomplete rows lead to financial losses.
Special Features
- Dynamic Scoring: Buildings in completed rows score positively, while those in incomplete rows deduct points, emphasizing the risk and reward of development choices.
- Investor Roles: Players act as investors, making critical decisions on bidding and building to maximize profits.
- Evolving Urban Landscape: The game environment changes with each round, simulating a real estate market with shifting values and opportunities.
Conclusion
The Estates offers an engaging blend of strategy, negotiation, and risk management, set against the backdrop of urban development. Through bidding wars and strategic placement, players vie for supremacy in a cutthroat real estate market, making it a captivating game for those who enjoy economic strategy and competitive play.
- 2 - 5 Players
- 40 - 60 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Video reviews, ratings, Let's Plays and tests for The Estates
We like The Estates so much that we recommend it in the following board game recommendation lists 2024
- Position 16 in The 137 favorite games of Quinn from SU&SD
- Position 7 in The best games where you can invest in objects
- Position 29 in The best games with alternating starting player each round
- Position 23 in The best negotiation games 🤝
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