Vanuatu*

Vanuatu is a strategic board game where players immerse themselves in the role of Vanuatuan islanders, striving to prosper by managing resources, attracting tourists, and trading goods across the archipelago's expanding islands over the course of eight game turns.

Gameplay Overview:

• Resource Management: Players collect natural resources, rare items, and local currency (vatus), which are essential for progressing in the game.
• Action Programming: Each player has five action tokens to place on various action spaces, planning their moves strategically to gain majorities and execute actions effectively.
• Majority Control: Actions can only be executed if a player has the majority on that action space, adding a layer of strategic depth and player interaction. Players must sometimes wait for others to resolve their actions, which can alter the control over different spaces.
• Economic Balance: Players must manage their vatus wisely; accumulating ten vatus automatically converts them into prosperity points, symbolizing the challenging economic conditions of the Vanuatuan lifestyle.
• Cultural Elements: The game includes a reference to sand drawing, recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, adding thematic depth to the gameplay.

Strategic Elements:

• Sequential Action Execution: The order in which actions are executed matters significantly, as certain actions depend on the completion of others (e.g., you cannot sell fish without first catching them).
• Blocking and Interaction: A well-thought-out strategy may involve blocking other players from performing certain actions, thereby increasing your own chances of success.
• Use of Characters: The game features ten characters that players can utilize to enhance their actions each turn, adding variability and strategic choices.

Conclusion:

Vanuatu offers a rich blend of strategic planning, resource management, and player interaction, set against a backdrop of a beautifully thematic representation of Vanuatu's culture and economic challenges. Players must navigate the complexities of majorities and action sequencing, all while managing their economic resources effectively to win. The game's incorporation of cultural elements like sand drawing adds an educational dimension, making Vanuatu not only a challenging game but also a tribute to the heritage of its real-world counterpart.