Alhambra (board game)

Infobox_Game
subject_name=Alhambra
image_link=
image_caption= Players trade currencies and place tiles to build an Arabian city
designer=Dirk Henn
publisher=Überplay
Queen Games
players=2–6
ages=8 +
setup_time= 10 minutes
playing_time= 60 minutes
complexity=Medium
strategy=High
random_chance=Medium
skills=Currency trading
footnotes =

"Alhambra" is a tile-based German-style board game designed by Dirk Henn and published by the now-defunct Überplay and Queen Games in 2003. The game is an Arabian-themed update of the 1998 stock trading board game "Stimmt So!", which in turn was an update of the 1992 mafia influence board game "Al Capone".

In 2003, "Alhambra" won the Spiel des Jahres award, the Schweizer Spielepreis for Family Games, the As d'Or and the Essen Feather, and placed 2nd in the Deutscher Spiele Preis.

Gameplay

The game consists of a deck of "currency cards" of various values in four currencies (suits) and a bag of "building tiles" of various prices, as well as a number of boards (a currency market, a building market, a reserve board for each player and a scoring track). Six of the building tiles are "Alhambra tiles"; these are taken out of the bag and one is given to each player. Each player is then dealt currency cards until the total value of cards in their hand is greater than or equal to twenty. The currency cards are shuffled into five piles, and the two special scoring cards are inserted into the second and fourth piles. The five piles are then placed in order to form the currency deck. Four currency cards are drawn and placed on the currency market, and four building tiles are drawn and placed on the four spaces of the building market. The set of tiles connected to a player's Alhambra tile is called their "Alhambra".

Players then take turns, during which they may perform one of the following actions:
*Draw currency cards - either one card of any value or multiple cards totaling five or less.
*Buy building tiles - by discarding currency cards totaling the value of the tile or greater. Each space on the building market has a currency type next to it; all cards discarded must be of that suit. If the value of cards discarded exactly equals the price of the tile, the player gets another action. Tiles must be placed in the reserve board or attached to their Alhambra (players do not have to place tiles in the order they were purchased however).
*Move a building tile - either from their reserve board to their Alhambra, from their Alhambra to their reserve board, or swap two tiles (one from their reserve and one currently in their Alhambra).Currency cards and Building tiles are then added to any spaces on the Currency market or the Building market.

Some tiles have walls along one or more edges. When players add tiles to their Alhambra, it must be possible to trace a path from the new tile to the fountain that was their start tile, remaining within tiles and without crossing any walls.It is also not permitted to create 'holes' such that all four sides of a gap are closed in.

When the scoring cards are drawn from the Currency deck, or when the there are fewer than four buildings remaining to be sold, scoring occurs. The player with the most of a given building card type scores points according to that type; in case of a tie, points are split between players. More common building types are worth more points, and building types are worth more points in later scoring rounds. In the final scoring round, the player with the most of a given currency type takes the tile of that currency type and may add it to their Alhambra before scoring, and all players scores one point for each wall segment in their longest wall.

Expansions

Due to its popularity, there are four expansions (termed "extensions") to "Alhambra", each of which adds four customized "modules" to the game. These modules may be played together or separately, and modules may be combined from different expansions. The modules are designed by both Dirk Henn and Wolfgang Panning, and are named for one of its modules. They are, in order of release:
*"Alhambra: The Vizier's Favor" (2004)
**"The Vizier's Favor" introduces a vizier for each player. The vizier may be used to play out of turn. A player's vizier may be brought back into play by skipping their turn.
**"The Worker's Huts" introduces worker hut tiles. Worker hut tiles are free for the taking, but ends a player's turn. They score only if other tiles of the same color are adjacent.
**"The Bureau de Change" introduces special cards to the deck. These special cards allow players to mix currencies when buying tiles.
**"The Bonus Cards" introduces cards which are given out to each player at the start of the game. The cards grant its player a bonus if they possess the tile on the card in their Alhambra.
*"Alhambra: The City Gates" (2004)
**"The City Gates" introduces six city gates and six city gate cards to the deck. A player may during their turn pick up a city gate card, which allows them to, at a later point in time, place a city gate. City gates, which are placed on walls, allow buildings to be separated by walls while still being accessible - as if the wall did not exist.
**"The Diamonds" introduces a new currency into the game - diamonds. Diamonds may be used for any currency when buying tiles, but may not be combined with other currencies in buying tiles.
**"The Camps" introduces eight camp tiles, which are bought as with other buildings. However, camps must be separated from the city by a wall, and may not be adjacent to each other if there is a wall in the way. Camps score points for every building tile in the direction of its walls.
**"The Characters" adds ten character cards representing persons. These character cards, once uncovered, are immediately auctioned off to the highest bidder, and grant the winning player different abilities - some of which are used once, some of which may be used repeatedly.
*"Alhambra: The Thief's Turn" (2005)
**"The City Walls" adds eight city wall cards to the deck, which allows the player to add wall segments to tiles without them. Walls added in this manner, however, cannot be removed for the remainder of the game, and may not have city gates built on them.
**"The Thieves" adds 12 thief cards, which are given to the players at the start of the game. A player may play a thief card between turns (except before their own turn) and take a currency card matching the type of thief card played.
**"The Change" adds coins to the game. Whenever a player overpays for a building, half of the difference is refunded in coins of random currencies. Coins are worth one unit of their particular currency, and may be used with cards to buy buildings.
**"The Street Trader" adds traders and circular trader tiles. Trader tiles are given to each player at the start of the game, and are placed adjacent to any tile. If a player builds in the location of the trader tile, they may place a trader of a matching color from the trader tile to the building (or exchange a trader for one of another color), and the trader tile is moved. There are three traders on the trader tile at any given time. Points are awarded based on the number of traders in building tiles.
*"Alhambra: The Treasure Chamber" (2006)
**"The Treasure Chamber" adds treasure chests to the game. There are three treasure chambers, each containing four chests. At any point in the game players may buy the chests in one chamber, and place the chests on buildings in their Alhambra matching the color of the chests. Players gain additional points for the number of chests in their Alhambra.
**"The Master Builders" adds Master Builder cards, which are given to players at the start of the game. Master Builder cards may be used either as currency or may be discarded to move a building tile.
**"The Bazaars" adds bazaar tiles to the game. Bazaars, when drawn, are placed next to the building market, and may be bought (with exact change only) for the same price as the building of the corresponding currency type being sold. Bazaars score only in the final round of play, and score a point for each adjacent or diagonal building matching the colors on the bazaar.
**"The Invaders" adds invasion cards and scout cards to the game. Whenever scoring occurs, an invasion card is drawn. Players lose points for each building tile on the edge of their Alhambra without a wall in the direction specified by the invasion card. Scout cards may be used to look into the next invasion card, and may be taken whenever a building of the same type is bought.

Spin-offs

The success of "Alhambra" has also led Henn to release some other games with a common theme:
*"The Gardens of the Alhambra" is an updated version of "Carat", originally released in 1993.
*"Alhambra: The Dice Game" is a die-rolling game, broadly similar in play to "Yahtzee".

Xbox Live Arcade

A video game version was being developed by Vivendi Games for the Xbox 360 console system via Xbox Live Arcade, but has been indefinitely postponed.

External links

* Überplay's [http://uberplay.com/games/alhambra/ "Alhambra" webpage]
* bgg par
section1=game|id1=6249|name1="Alhambra"
section2=geeklist|id2=15608|name2=the "Alhambra" series
* http://www.boiteajeux.net French site at which one can play online in a turn-based format