IELLO Innovation Board Game

This game is phenomenal. I have been a big fan of Race for the Galaxy, and Innovation has superseded it in a flash. This game is very simple to learn and to teach, however it does require brainy players, as there is a lot of complexity in the individual cards. Even though the theme is a bit far-fetched, there is a sensation of progressing through the ages, which is satisfying, not least because, as a game mechanic, it creates an effect of increasing momentum and volatility.The Iello version may cost twice as much as the Asmadi version, but the difference is totally worth it. The game comes in a beautiful box with a magnetic lid that keeps it shut, and, most importantly, the art on the cards, both on the back and front, is gorgeous.The icons are laid out very clearly, and they got rid of the flavor hex icon that was more confusing than anything else. Also, they changed the terminology to something a bit more standard, i.e. meld is now called 'play', and dogma is 'activate'. I realize, with hindsight, that the main source of confusion when learning that game (with the Asmadi version) was that the terms were so unnatural. Once the terminology is simplified, it takes 5 minutes to explain the game, and there is much less room for misunderstanding.I believe this game, which is nearly 10y old, would have been so much more popular (like Race for the Galaxy) if the marketing had been done in a more professional way, and Iello's contributing to heading in that direction.

My wife and I like to play this game together. It's very good for just 2 people. Perhaps even better with 2 than it is with 4. It's also pretty fun even when you lose, because you feel very much in control of your destiny, instead of at the mercy of dice or other random chance.

I've been looking for a good 2 player game for a while, and this one has completely satisfied me. Intelligent, fun, simple, strategic.

The game is as good as advertised, no issues.But I was disappointed by the component quality when I got the game. It looked cheap with faded/ slightly blurred printing. The cards were plastic like what you get for cheap playing cards. Overall, it looked what I would expect for an imitation product from China. I haven't seen the original Asmadi version, but I slightly regret not getting that instead.

It can be a little confusing at first but all you need to do is follow the instructions on the card. Its a great game that changes every time you play.

I played it a couple of times but my group does not like it. The one with most castles blows away anyone, and once you are down to 1 or 0 cards there is no way to recover. To get the majority in castles is a matter of luck. The next (era 4) is factories, which is just as overpowering, but castles rule for too long.I feel compelled to state our experience s to balance the too raving reviews out there.Besides the overpowering cards the rules take multiple hours to decipher but in fact they are quite simple, once I understood them I could explain in a few minutes.However the artwork is gorgeous, the magnetic lid works great.For that reason I won't sell it but won't play it either.Many games are better, like splendor, or power grid or Puerto Rico.Cannot recommend, or would need to take out specific cards but playtesting is the makers' job not mine.

Great game. Best with 2, a little crazy/random with 3 or 4, but still fun.

Very easy to learn. I played this with my mother and she won on her first time. I love games that are easy to play but have lots of strategy and depth. This game fits the bill.

Prodotto arrivato in tempi rapidi, purtroppo la lingua effettiva risulta essere il Francese e non l'Inglese, come parrebbe dalla descrizione iniziale.

Le jeu est en Français, produit très soigné pour un jeu de ce type.Les parties sont relativement longues (une bonne heure minimum en fonction du nombre de joueurs) mais on se laisse vite prendre au jeu qui devient rapidement très stratégique.

The profuct came exactly as specified. I am very satisfied!

Ich habe mir das Spiel aufgrund besagter Spielerezessionsseite, bei der auch Benjamin T mitwirkte, "blind" gekauft, da meine Spielgruppe und meine Wenigkeit selbst gerne auf Interaktion setzen. Dieses Spiel bietet dies und noch viel mehr.Ins Detail werde ich nicht gehen, da diese schon ausführlich behandelt worden sind. Nur einige kleine Anmerkungen:- Wer auf eine Strategie setzt (bevor das Spiel startet) wird damit auf Granit beißen. Dieses Spiel hat viele Zufallsaspekte, wie z.B. eine Karte ins Spiel bringen, die dann eine andere Karte verdeckt, und somit deren aktivierte Fähigkeiten ausschaltet.-Das Spiel ist auf Englisch, aber mit wenigen Seiten ist dies gut und leicht verständlich. Ich bin kein Englischprofi und habe die Regeln gut verstanden.-Man lacht viel beim Spiel, weil wirklich immer was unvorherrsehbares passiert, da es Karten gibt, die auf reinen Zufalls-draws basieren.- Wir spielen das Spiel zu 90% immer zu viert. Es spielt sich über weite teile des Spiel recht flott, später muss man doch mal eine Minute länger überlegen-Spiel ist handlich und gut zum mitnehmen. Die Karten sind hübsch aufgearbeitet.Zum Schluss kann ich es nochmal betonen: Als Vielspieler ein Muss, ggf. sogar als Gelegenheitsspieler(-Gruppen) (Regeln sind schnell erklärt).... Es ist kein Familienspiel und dauert schonmal bis zu 2 Std.

This is an easy conceived game: it is only made of about 100 cards. The rules are pretty easy to catch, and it makes the game easy. When I started to play, I thought the game was about 50% of luck. But the more you play, the more you realize the complexity of the game, and the strategies behind it. After 12 or 15 games, I would say there is only 20% of luck.Also, I think that three players is the best to play this game. Two is okay too (it makes the game longer), but four is definitely not interesting in my opinion.I would recomment this game to people that like to play chess. If you want to win you have to know what you will do in the next rounds, and pay a lot of attention to your opponents to protect your cards.