World Without End: Board Game Review

World Without End is just a traditional Euro-style strategy board game, thematically built around events taking invest the fictional village of Kingsbridge, from 1337 to 1361, nearly 200 years after building of the imposing cathedral known as The Pillars of the Earth.Players take the roles of merchants, farmers and builders striving for wealth and prestige while living a pious and loyal life. The object of the overall game is to get the most victory points. They're gained mainly by taking part in several building projects and by looking after the inhabitants of Kingsbridge which can be strikken by the plague, called Black Death. However, life in Kingsbridge is not an easy one. Players need to continuously struggle to achieve enough food, show loyalty to the church and the crown, pay taxes and cope with sudden misadventures that occur randomly through the cource of the game.
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The main part of this game is really a huge, four-panel gameboard of superb quality, depicting Kingsbridge and its surrounding lands. On the overall game board there are many locations such as:

At the end of the chapter, players have the following mandatory obligations: Show that they live a virtuous and pious life by paying 2 piety, show that they have enough food to sustain themselves by paying 2 grain, and pay a tax. To be able to determine the total amount of tax, the active player throws a dice. Upon failing to fulfil one or more of the above duties, players lose victory points and suffer additional penalties which occur in the beginning of the next chapter such as for example losing their income in the very first round of the following chapter or playing one less action card. It is possible to prevent the additional penalty by paying 1 Loyalty.

In the beginning of the next chapter, the plague hits the village and certain plague counters are put, face down, on each house of Kingsbridge, Each round, a family in one of the houses may fall ill and could be cured, utilising the appropriate action card to provide victory points plus other bonuses to the players who choose this action. To be able to take care of the ill, players should have enough medical knowledge.

All components of the overall game are extremely beautiful and of high quality. The overall game board is visually stunning, with the village of Kingsbridge and its surrounding lands beautiful drawn, making the players get the feel of England in the 14th century.

Resources (wood, stone, grain, wool, cloth) are constructed of wood, appropriately coloured. There is also shapes that resemble their real form, especially grain and cloth. That's somewhat rare in a regular edition of a game. Houses will also be made from wood and have the form of houses, in each player's colour. All other components: piety and loyalty markers, cover markers, money and medical knowledge are constructed of thick cardboard with attention to detail and with appropriate shapes as well. Action and event cards are constructed of thick paper and they deserve a unique mention. Their are elaborately designed and their background gets the visual feel of paper utilized in the Middle Ages That apllies to the players'screens as well. All in all, components will satisfy even probably the most demanding gamer. Thumbs as much as Michael Menzel, in charge of the game's artwork and graphics. 9/10

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