The Real Challenge of Simplicity in Thurn and Taxis
Take a closer look at the cozy world of postal routes and historic buildings across the cities of Thurn and Taxis.
My mysterious classification as a “cozy” game actually originated with Thurn and Taxis! Depending on the lighting, the color scheme sometimes skews towards the golden hues. It makes me think of a lovely, relaxing time next to the fireplace… Which I never actually enjoy in real life, but that’s what I picture. Ha ha! Back to the fun of mail delivery!
Game Overview
Game Name: Thurn and Taxis
Publication Year: 2006
Designer: Andreas Seyfarth and Karen Seyfarth
Artist: Michael Menzel
Solo Mode: Unofficial Solo Variant
This game is coming up on its 15th anniversary! Wow. It may be old, yet I simply enjoy it. I know how long it will take and the general details of the challenge. There are no surprises, but it’s far from easy. Every starting layout has its own positives and negatives. It’s straightforward without being overly simplistic. Nothing boring here!
First Play
August 27, 2017
Complexity
2
Latest Play
September 18, 2023
Expansions
0
Setup Time
5 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
54
Play Time
25 Minutes
High Score
80
Game Area
32" x 24"
Low Score
22
Enlisting a Little Help
Every round, a single helper must be used. I mostly use the leftmost pair to either play 2 cards or pick up 2 cards.
Rarely do I discard and redraw for the entire selection of city cards. I usually manage to keep a few options open, and rely on the luck of the blind draw sometimes!
The final helper must be used carefully. During a round when 1 card is picked up and 1 card is played, he allows the route to be scored 2 levels higher than it would be.
So a route of 3 cards would score as a 5-value route for picking up the carriage cards. And that can be tricky!
Admiring the Final Map
From a fairly empty starting map, the wooden houses get quite crowded by the end! Managing each placement takes a lot of practice. It’s not easy to play with 4 colors at once.
Victory points come from various sources. Completing provinces or having a presence in every province helps.
However, it can sometimes be worthwhile to finish routes with little benefit. At the same time, victory points are lost for having too many leftover wooden houses at the end.
On the surface, the puzzle might seem pretty easy. Yet I still can’t quite pull things together with every play.
Collecting Carriages
All of the carriage cards have values from 3 to 7. In the solo variant, these represent the scored postal routes.
But it’s not so simple! Since there are only 4 of each, it’s important to manage when routes are scored. Too many short ones early on can make the late-game difficult.
Points are also only awarded for consecutive carriages. So if you only collect 3-, 5-, 6-, and 7-value carriages, guess what? You’re only earning points for the lowest value.
Finding ways to maximize victory points is challenging in a way that rewards experience and careful planning.
The Crucial Cities
Examining the map should point out some important areas. Each province is color-coded, although some of these are combined. Look closely to find individual cities.
That’s right! Certain provinces only contain single cities. These are usually the most vital for earning victory points.
However, it’s impossible to go through every city with all of the wooden houses. The city cards only contain 3 copies of every city. So setup forms the foundation for play.
Strategy aside, I love seeing cities filled with wooden houses! Yet another reason for that “cozy” classification.
Session Overview
Play Number: 49 and 50
Solo Mode: Unofficial Solo Variant
Play Details: Advanced Difficulty Level
Required Play Space: 28″ x 24″
Setup Time: 5 Minutes
Play Time: 25 Minutes per Play
Outcome: 57 and 55 (2 Losses)
Although my scores definitely improved, I was still just shy of my victory threshold! Still, this was a lot of fun and I managed to create a few excellent routes. Luck was on my side when it came down to the last few city cards!
%
50 Plays
Affordability
Price & Value
10
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
7
Quality
Components & Rules
9
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
9
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
4
+ Pros (Positives)
- The paths between cities are easy to see from afar, and multiple plays often lead to memorizing these routes.
- Although the artwork is beautiful, the design puts the focus on the city names so that it’s simple to find them.
- There are many different ways to collect bonus tiles, and a bad starting setup doesn’t necessarily spell defeat.
- The sequence of play is quick and easy to understand, keeping play time under 30 minutes in most cases.
- Only a few elements form the core of the game, making it easy to learn but difficult to master in a short time.
- Multiple difficulty levels are available by adjusting the starting number of wooden houses for each color.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Choosing the best routes requires the ability to see all 4 colors at once, which can take time to get used to.
- A few parts of the unofficial solo variant rules are a little difficult to understand until a few plays have passed.
- The starting setup can have a major impact on the final score, to the point that some puzzles are suboptimal.
- With the small size of the city cards, shuffling can be a little cumbersome compared to using normal-sized cards.
Continue the Conversation
What do you think of Thurn and Taxis? With the unofficial solo variant, I managed to get a lot more life out of it. Are there any games you own that seem to be “cozy” in nature? Even when I don’t win, this one makes me feel happy as I try out new routes and strategies. It’s still in my top 20 games, and that’s not easy to do with so many excellent choices!
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