Flashback Friday - Citadels - Love it or Hate It? Do you Still Play It?

I've had my copy for over a decade now. Like many games from that time I don't play super often, but I don't regret when I do play. I still suggest it from time to time.

The game seems really punitive and random to new players, but experience made the game better for me. Tired of being assassinated and robbed? Then take the assassin and the thief more often. Don't take the architect or the merchant too often. Playing "efficiently" is rarely the right move. Once the table realizes that it makes a big difference, though some groups never figure it out.

Like Bohnanza, it does run a shade too long. Faidutti never equalled this one until Mascarade, which is probably my new favorite game of his now.

I've still got my copy from the early 2000s, the original Ohne Furcht und Adel, when I got back into boardgames and most of the games around were the good German games from the 90s and early 00s (before they became soul-less euro poin fests). It used to get played a bit back then as our collections were smaller, it was pretty good in comparison with its peers and I had larger groups then (it's better with five or more) but not these days for the exact opposite of those three reasons. My notes show I played it twice in 2014 but never since.
It is a fun game that can sometimes go a bit long, some days you play to win and other days you play to have fun being a nuisance (prick) picking the Assassin or Thief.

I haven't played it in maybe 12 years, but I remember it being fun. I want to teach it to my nine year-old and some of her friends, but they have yet to agree. I remembered it as a short game, but if it runs to 45 minutes I'm not sure it's the right choice.

I think it's a great game and I've yet to play any game of its kind that is better. I also like that it's sharp and a bit mean.

It being long sometimes is often a player problem, I think. It's common for a new player at the table or someone who hasn't played in a while to gaze at the cards and "not know what to play", which is the worst kind of analisis paralisis that you can have in a hidden role game.

san il defanso wrote: The game seems really punitive and random to new players, but experience made the game better for me. Tired of being assassinated and robbed? Then take the assassin and the thief more often. Don't take the architect or the merchant too often. Playing "efficiently" is rarely the right move. Once the table realizes that it makes a big difference, though some groups never figure it out.

This is true. As the game developes the should be obviously riskier (more money) and less risky (less money) choices and it's up to you to balance that. I see too many groups just picking up either what is great for them or the obvious "second" choice. They also tend to overpick Assassin because they pick it up not knowing who or what they want to target.

Love it and still play it. I appreciate games that do one thing and do it well. Citadels does that. It gets out of your way enough that you play the other players as much as the districts you've got.

It can run long with players that don't immediately "get it". It's more about keeping the other players in check than having the perfect tableau, and it's the tableau part that makes most people take too long to choose a role.

Still play it regularly, about once every 2 months. Great game.

I got my group to try it about twice, years ago...I don't think it was a hit.