Ken Follet's novel "The gates of the world" is the foundation for this sophisticated board game manufactured written by Stefan Stadler and Michael Rieneck that have not implemented the Kosmos-Verlag been the predecessor "They Pillars of the Earth".

Center of the VPs - collecting is once again the medieval city "Kingsbridge" in which not only important monuments of the city's infrastructure, but also the tower of the mighty cathedral to be completed. The construction materials used to obtain the players' victory points. If you have donations initials on a building sets and pays the levies, upon completion of a project can receive additional bonus. The players are not just raw materials for disposal, but also the king's favor and blessing of the clergy.

Which sounds very good and easy. But it is not really the game progresses. Who too much on fame and edifying is out and forget the people, it can get with ostracism, starvation, or do even the outbreak of the plague. Since it does not help either through the cloth trade in the market earned money, but only a good medical education.

A special feature of the novel is to keep the tension over a long period of time. This is implemented in the board game with a round system with a total of 4 chapters, so time episodes. In each of these episodes, the players can play their own actions and provide themselves with the necessary utensils such as raw materials, cereals, favor, piety, and medical knowledge.

Before they do so, however, each round opened with an event. The event card drawn has a dual function. First, the event is executed. It has a direct impact on the game events and influences - mostly negative, the available resources.

After the card is targeted at the schedule and determines the income of the players and the kind of favor for the active players. Through the income all players have either money, religion, commodity, or medical information obtained during only the active player gets the advantage of favor. This can be either more resources or Eg VPs, because the player has already gained loyalty to king or queen.

After the event map and the disbursement of the few players play all the goods from one of its 12 action cards. At the same time, they must separate themselves but also from another Action card, so that in each round each with 6 cards 6 cards have been played and stored. Through the actions of the players can obtain things that they need to pay at the end of the chapter, all the time required duties. Then, namely, the people must be fed (2 grains), to prove loyalty to the Church (2 Piety) and taxes are paid to the king (money in the value of a dice throw of 1-5).

If these conditions are not fulfilled, await penalties on the players. If the people suffer hunger, the player must "beg" and, in the next round, no income. Lack of religion is being punished with "repentance". The real action card either store the next round will be drawn at random. Tax liability will be heard by the royal court. The player must play in the next round, no action, but must take two of his action cards.

The gates of the world is a game of economic shortcomings. There is nothing in abundance and we must use his acquired possessions collected, at the end succeed. Possibly forged strategic plans can suddenly result in negative effects are being canceled out by events. The result is often a real "man trouble you" effect, which is one of the special game stimuli, because the more one is pleased when a strategy has succeeded and the corresponding VPs have been achieved despite the obstacles.

The game material is like "The Pillars of the Earth" once again brilliantly equipped. That game sets standards, for "playing with the eye" and the game can develop on the table all its splendor. Heard by the intelligent gameplay and the superior design, "The gates of the world," the absolute top - Play of 2009.

Tags: Cosmos