Building an Almost Neon-Like Futuristic City with NEOM
Plan an entire city of the future filled with cozy residences and thriving businesses with NEOM.
There’s a new certainty in life: I never have enough time for all of my board games! I’ve been trying to give a little more time to others, though there are always a bunch of lonely boxes. NEOM is an interesting city building game that I played earlier in the year. The bright colors always make me think it says NEON… That was all the encouragement I needed!
Game Overview
Game Name: NEOM
Publication Year: 2018
Designer: Paul Sottosanti
Artists: Klemens Franz and Christian Opperer
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
When this game first arrived, I immediately set to work organizing all of the components. This is the glorious result! Not perfect, but definitely neat. I approve!
The rules are surprisingly simple, and the goal is to build a futuristic city filled with a variety of buildings.
First Play
February 1, 2020
Complexity
2
Latest Play
September 23, 2023
Expansions
0
Setup Time
5 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
26
Play Time
20 Minutes
High Score
129
Game Area
16" x 16"
Low Score
81
Planning Ahead
Perhaps the most important step comes before the first step… Planning! As I set everything up, a very important planning committee formed on my player board.
Calico Critters are inherently adorable, yet there’s a lot going on in those little, stuffed heads! Well, only maybe.
I snuck in closer to listen in on their conversation. It quickly took a turn. Apparently they were under the impression that I was going to construct their town.
Do I have a ton of real Calico Critters buildings that form a town? Yes. Do I have space for them? Kinda, sorta. Ha!
A Vital Discovery
Still, I couldn’t actually begin to play due to this little fellow thoroughly inspecting the forest region.
He hemmed and hawed for a little bit. Then, there was a moment of sheer joy when he fully approved… A little lake! This would be perfect to construct a beaver dam.
Although the artwork might be a slight hit or miss, the back of each player board includes full landscapes. No outlines or lines here: It’s natural and untouched!
So with this hind paw of approval and adorable face, I was ready to dive into building my first city in ages!
On Building vs. Destroying
Throughout my solo board game journey, I’ve learned that I typically tend to build instead of destroy. It isn’t necessarily about avoiding violence, either. There is simply more enjoyment from progressing. At the end of a successful play, I love to go back and think of how I started off with nothing… Then ended up with an empire!
This experience ties the building directly into construction, yet I’m sure I’ll have other examples eventually about how this concept applies in other ways. Reading through the rules reminded me of this very random observation, though!
More and More Choices
Gameplay takes course over just 3 rounds, with unique tiles appropriately marked. The strategy comes down to the multitude of choices available with each turn.
A maximum of 7 tiles may be placed, yet these come from stacks that contain 5-7 tiles each. Quite a lot of options!
The symbols are also pretty easy to understand after seeing the tiles a few times. The best part? The back of the rulebook includes details about every tile… Alphabetically.
My own planning didn’t work out too well. I think the Calico Critters did a better job than I could have today. Ha!
My Future City
Apologies for not capturing too many details. My lighting wasn’t about to cooperate in the twilight hours. Go figure.
This little city started off producing wood, with the happy little beaver presiding over the operation. It expanded into residential districts and more raw materials production.
Unfortunately, I built the fire department and police department too late. There are known disasters in every stack of tiles… My city was hit hard by both. Oh, my!
Although there were some setbacks, the end result looked relatively impressive. But had I hit my 100-point goal?
Session Overview
Play Number: 13
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Played with the 1+, 4+, and 5 Player Tiles
Required Play Space: 16″ x 16″
Setup Time: 5 Minutes
Play Time: 25 Minutes
Outcome: 91 Points (Loss)
Not quite enough to label this a personal victory, though I enjoyed the experience! Jumping back in wasn’t difficult at all, and I still have a lot to learn. Maybe I’ll make better use of my cornerstone tiles next time around!
%
20 Plays
Affordability
Price & Value
10
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
5
Quality
Components & Rules
9
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
10
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
8
Victory Conditions
Score 120+ Points
- Overall Goal Progress 67%
Goals and Milestones
Score at least 100 points.
Score at least 120 points.
Score at least 130 points.
Continue the Conversation
Have you played NEOM? Do you enjoy any other city-building solo games? Although I was a little skeptical of what to make of the artwork and seemingly mundane mechanics, this is an excellent sort of game! You start off with nothing and then craft a city of residences, businesses, and much more. With its short play time, I’m sure I’ll play again soon!
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