The Princes of Florence: a Game of Completing Works of Art

This is the perfect game for a group of three to five players if you have about an hour to play a game that will keep you engrossed in it the whole time. The whole idea of this game is to hire different professions to create "works" for you. After creating works that will generate money for you which you can use to buy prestige points or objects that will help you earn more points in future rounds. In the end the big question everyone has to decide is what do they think is the ideal strategy to earn the most points. The great thing about this game is there is no "perfect strategy" to win, it all depends on your cards and your opponents.

Unlike some of my games reviews in which I go over all the rules, instead with this one I will give you an overview of how the game is played. The part that will drive your strategy the most is your professions cards. These cards tell you how many points any "work" they make is worth based on the other objects you have. Some of these objects you must buy, some you must build, and others are based on the cards that you hold.

The first way of buying items are in the auction. There are seven rounds in the game and each starts with the auction segment. In the auction you may only win one of the following items so you need to strategize accordingly. There is a group of three items known as landscapes. These are composed of forests, lakes, and parks. Each different profession prefers a different setting to use as an inspiration for their work. You will notice on your cards which of these landscapes will benefit your card holding the most. Jesters will always increase your work by your profession by two work value points. You can also bid on a builder, builders come in hand in the action phase as you then build buildings at a reduced rate (or even free!) and these add points to your works. Did you see your opponent play a profession card you really want? Well then bid on a recruiting card as you can use it to claim a profession card already played by your opponent. Finally, want an easy way to get prestige points? Buy a prestige card, this will give you a goal and if you meet it you get six points!