Strategy!

Machi Koro

Welcome back to my blog! If this is your first time here I’m Lani and this blog is dedicated to reviewing games! Since my last blog was a little long I am only going to review one game. Today I am going to focus on the strategy game Machi Koro. This game requires you to think hard about each and every turn you take, but personally, I feel that the strategy aspect is what makes the game enjoyable. I will be reviewing the game’s replayability and strategy. Enjoy!

Machi Koro is a city-building game designed by Masao Suganuma and is recommended for anyone aged 8 and up. 2-4 people can play and it takes on average around 30 minutes. I think Machi Koro can help teach children how to manage their money and spend it wisely. The goal is to purchase various establishments that will help you earn money and the person at the end with the highest amount of money wins!

This game is a little difficult to explain so bear with me (Find the game instructions here). Each player starts out the game with two different cards, one of which is a bakery and one is a wheat field. Each card is assigned a number from 1-6 and an amount of coins. This number correlates to the numbers on the die. When the die matches the number on the card, you earn the amount of coins listed. For example, the wheat field card has the number 1 and only 1 coin listed so if a 1 is rolled on the die, then you earn 1 coin. Collect as many coins as possible to continuously buy more establishments that earn you money to eventually allow you to construct your train station, shopping mall, amusement park, and radio tower. Once all four of these are constructed you win the game!

I would rate Machi Koro’s replayability as a 6/10. Machi Koro is entertaining and has been one of my family’s favorites for years. Throughout the game, you can learn money management skills and can have a fun competition between players. I scored this slightly lower because, as I mentioned earlier, the game takes around 30 minutes to play. For me, this is a large factor in replayability because when time is limited, playing a game for more than 30 minutes is unrealistic.

I think Machi Koro deserves an 8/10 for strategy. The overall goal is to use coins to purchase certain establishments that can earn you the most money. The main strategy is to decide which establishments, in the end, will be most beneficial to you. My family loves playing this game and we always find ourselves laughing. If you like to challenge yourself then this game is definitely for you!

Thanks for reading my blog! Hope you’ll be back next time!