Isle of Skye From Chieftain to King Board Game Strategy Game Fun Fast-Paced Tile Placement Game for Adults and Kids Ages 8+ 2-5 Players Average Playtime 30-50 Minutes Made by Lookout Games,MFG3509

... and he's not messing around. So far, Isle of Skye is my favorite game of 2015.The mechanics are simple enough -- get income based on your existing tiles, draw three tiles, secretly choose one to discard and set prices for the other two, reveal everyone's choices simultaneously, potentially buy a tile from someone else, pay and claim any tiles you opponents did not buy from you, place your tiles, and finally score according to the objectives for that round. Do this 6 times and the game is over. It might sound exceedingly simple, but this game throws tough decisions your way at every turn. The pricing mechanic creates a layer of depth, anticipation, calculation, and tension that really elevates the gameplay. The system of randomly selecting scoring objectives from a large set does a great job of keeping the game fresh after multiple plays. The fact that different scoring objectives are predictably scored each round results in players constantly looking ahead to balance short-term and long-term objectives. Putting all of these elements into one package results in a beautifully rounded and extremely engaging game that makes a strong claim for the tile-laying crown.Here are some suggestions for those looking to compare Isle of Skye and Carcassonne. If you enjoy Carcassonne, do yourself a favor and get this game because it's an absolute blast. If you're deciding between this and Carcassonne, do yourself a favor and get both games because they're both a blast. If you really have to choose just one, I'd still recommend starting with Carcassonne just because of the slightly simpler gameplay.Pros:+ Great replayability thanks to randomized objectives+ Pricing mechanic adds a welcome layer of depth and tension+ The catch-up mechanic keeps everyone in the hunt, without feeling broken+ Great mix of short-term and long-term goals+ Throws tough decisions your way at every turn+ Easy to teach and relatively quick to play+ Lovely game componentsCons:- Decisions can be overwhelming for players prone to AP (analysis paralysis)- It can be a little hard to see tile features across the table- Luck is a factor, like in all games involving random draws

This game is reminiscent of Carcassonne, with added bidding for tiles and you only play in your own board instead of a shared playing area. We really enjoy this and my gf isn't the biggest fan of euro games and she likes it. It is fun with two players, but better with more. We have many different board games, nothing too complex such as Catan and a number of Ticket to Ride games and this fits perfectly into the same realm as these games. Not too hard to learn, and a match doesn't take too long.

Isle of Skye is hands-down one of the best games from 2015.Each game, four scoring conditions (from 16) are drawn which determine how points will be scored in each round. Each scoring condition will score three times over the course of the game's five rounds, so players will have an opportunity to fine-tune their holdings to take advantage of what comes up.Each round follows a simple flow. First, players get money--for their castle, for any whiskey barrels supplying the castle, and for their position on the score track. Then they draw three tiles and secretly (behind their included player screens) set the price of two of them, while marking the third for discard. After players secretly set their prices, they lift their screens, and each player may purchase one tile from someone else. Whatever tiles remain unpurchased in front of them they must buy for the prices they set, then players add whatever tiles they acquired to their clan lands and score points. (Some tiles also have additional scoring opportunities for the end of the game.)Isle of Skye is a simple game in that the rules are easy to learn and teach, but the gameplay is exciting as players try to put together the best land they can. There is the excitement of secretly setting prices and then the joy of revelation when everyone lifts their screens and you realize you should have set your prices higher or lower. There is an interesting puzzle of trying to get the most points out of what you've got as you try to get tiles to score for multiple conditions.Isle of Skye plays easily within an hour (even with teaching) and works at all player counts, 2-5. I highly recommend this one.

This game is quick to play and slightly easy to teach. Every game is going to be different so a lot of replayability/high replay value. The game is 6 rounds and each round you'll be scored on multiple items (which can vary for every game, which is totally great). Everyone randomly draws 3 tiles and places those tiles in front of them. Then in secret, you'll pick one to discard and the other two you'll place your money behind it representing both your asking price and how much you'll lose for it (because you end up getting your tiles for that price if no one pays you for it.) Then the purchasing happens. After that, everyone lays their tiles and scoring happens.This game is very much in line with Carcassonne though with bidding. It's a fun game with a lot of replay value. An issue I had is that the instructions explanation of each tile for scoring could have been explained a little better. It seemed vague in the explanation. The font size of the instructions are small as well yet short.On my rating scale of buy, borrow, or bury: this is a buy.

Me ha gustado mucho. Preveo muchas partidas en el futuro.

A experiência adquirida com o Carcassonne foi elevada à quinta potência em Isle of Skye. Que jogo gostoso, senhoras e senhores! Não é só alocação de tiles. Tem que cuidar muito bem do dinheiro!

Great game, fun to play and easy to catch on to.

I am not a big fan of Carcassone because I felt I didn't get enough room to strategize. Isle of Skye solves that problem by having the players draw three tiles at once and having to choose two of them to keep. On top of that you can buy a tile from other players each round. So there is a higher chance of getting what you want and also adds an economic aspect to it. It's not my favorite game in the world but it's currently my only favorite tile laying game. (I do own Castles of Mad King Ludwig - another tile laying game - but haven't played it yet. So I don't know whether I will like that better than this).

My kids and I can’t stop playing it. We have ticket to ride and this is so different and by far our favourite.