LOUIS XIV Intrigue in the Sun King's court
As an avid board game player and a French major, I was excited when I recently discovered this title among the newer releases from Rio Grande Games. A successful and highly rated game dealing with the members of Louis XIV's court and of course, the Sun King himself. This last week I had the opportunity to play it myself and must admit that I thouroughly enjoyed it.Every Tuesday BoardGame Revolution, on 1400 South just off of State Street, hosts a free board game night at 6:30 pm. The order of the day this last week was none other than Louis XIV.
It's a four player game and lasts about an hour and a half. The board is made up of twelve separate tiles, arranged in the fashion seen below. Each tile represents a member of the legendary king's court. There are twelve in total, some names more familiar than others. Some of the notables are family of the great king, or mistresses, or counselors, etc. Anne d´Autriche, Philippe I. de Orléans, Marie-Thérèse d´Espagne, le Grand Dauphin, Françoise-Athénaïs de Montespan, le Grand Condé, Henri de Turenne and others are all there. Players take turns strategically playing their influence markers in the best way for them to accomplish as many missions as possible.
The game plays quickly and has elements of both an area control game and a hand management game (for those of you who know the lingo). It adds a bit of more challenge when the tiles flip over seeing as it is a modular board.
If board games are your thing, don't hesitate to check out Louis XIV. Boardgame Revolution sells it currently at 21 dollars. A steal if you ask me. If you are having problems finding a fourth player, don't hesitate to call.
Much Love,
Pete
