Two of my favourite games, Scythe and Viticulture, are made by Stonemaier Games so I’m always eager to hear about a Stonemaire game. Tapestry is not a new release but it took me a while to get a play in. The first game is definitely a learning game as this is the type that grows on you over time as you start to see the interconnections of various parts of the game.
In Tapestry you are building your civilization over time by advancing in 4 main areas of progression: Exploration, Military, Technology and Science. Each turn you pay resources to advance on one of these 4 tracks and then carry out the action listed on the spot you move to.
Exploration often allows you to place terrain tiles on the board, discovering new lands and gaining the resources/benefits of doing so.
Military lets you spread out on these land terrains, often taking over some land your opponents are on. When you expand to a new area you roll military dice and gain the spoils of your war.
Technology often provides cards representing tech advancements, each giving you a benefit and evolving over time (at the end of each of the 3 eras) to give you even better benefits.
Lastly, Science often helps you advance in the other 3 tracks by rolling a science die and subsequently moving up the track of the symbol you rolled.
Moving up these tracks also allow you to build buildings onto your personal map. Populating that area will give you more resources and points throughout the game. Often being ahead on a track will grant you a first come first serve bonus of a large building that will help you fill up your piece of land. This entices you to push forward on tracks quickly.
The further you move up any track the better the rewards are. Also, a lot of these tacks intermingle, giving you points based on your progression on another track. This rewards a balanced approach instead of trying to shoot up one track to the max. Moving up to a particular spot in one area before triggering one spot in another is often the key to maximizing your civilization’s progression. So there is a tough decision of pushing hard on a certain track or trying to diversify your approach.
At the end of each of the 3 eras you will be playing Tapestry cards that will give you a special ability or boost for the Era. As well, you each start with a very unique civilization ability. There are so many to choose from and it helps make the game feel very different each time you play as you attempt to maximize your civilization’s special ability.
Tapestry is a fantastic game that gets better and better the more you play it. It is now my 3rd favourite Stonemaier Game.