Hello!
Thanks for stopping by! I’m Eliza, and I when I’m not reading or glued to Netflix I love playing board games! I found it hard to build up a collection of games that were really great with only 2 players, so now I’ve found them, I want to share them!
Today I’m reviewing Five Tribes.
This is a really, really pretty game. You can tell from the box that you’re in for a treat.
The basic premise is to get the most points, through a number of different channels but primarily claiming tiles on the game board with your little wooden camels by picking up and spreading different coloured meeples about.
Time to Play: 30-90 minutes
We’ve played this very quickly before, admittedly with more than 2 people, but if we’re playing together it’s uaually around 60 minutes. No doubt others could play it quicker though, there are a lot of options on each round, starting with bidding for turn order, and that can cause long thinking times in our house.
Strategy Vs Luck: 75% Strategy, 25% Luck
There’s a degree of luck in this game regarding the placement of the meeples and the turning of goods and djin cards. Realistically though, the way you play the game is what will win it.
Replayability: 7/10
If you play this game a lot, you will start to lean heavily on the same strategies (collect temples, white meeples for djins, different goods types). Once both players are always aiming for the same goals it becomes a bidding war on turn order. The djin powers can really change the game up though, so if you get a few good ones the game can be completely different.
Faff Factor: High
There are about a million parts to this game. It takes up loads of space, but there’s a very real satisfaction when you see it all laid out, ready to go. It’s really colourful and the artwork on the cards is beautiful. The rule book is enormous, but all players get a cheat sheet for explaining each turn. You will need to refer to it frequently when you start playing.
More than 2 Players? Definitely!
This game is fun for quite a while with 2 players but it’s definitely better with 4. And quite a lot quicker as you run out of legal moves faster.
Cost: £££ (Over £30)
Five Tribes is currently listed at nearly £40 and is one of our pricier games.
Conclusion: 7/10
This is a really satisfying game that can change up at any point. It’s one you have to devote a bit of time and attention to, and the replayability isn’t the best but the scores are always close and you’ll never regret playing. Definitely one to keep the cat way from though.
About the Author:
When Eliza Raine isn't playing board games, she's the author of the debut series; Skies of Olympus. Get the first episode FREE now!
