Machi Koro is a great game for beginners and veteran gamers alike. The object of the game is to build the best city you can by completing the construction of your city’s landmarks before your opponents can build theirs. The rules are easy to pick up and can be easily explained to newcomers while playing the game. Strategy and luck are both important parts of Machi Koro as you choose what to add to your city in order to gain income from dice rolls and further your mission to complete landmarks and build the best city possible. You can collect income from establishments you have built such as ranches or fruit stands as well as from your opponents with establishments such as the family restaurant. Machi Koro keeps all players engaged with its fast pace and the unique combination of luck and strategic planning making it a great choice for a casual night hanging out with friends. The randomness produced by dice rolls and the myriad of possibilities available for choosing establishments and landmarks give Machi Koro a high replay value. To try out some new strategies for even more fun and replayability, check out the Harbor Expansion to add a fifth player and play with some new establishments!
-Liza
I really like this game, but it seems generally accepted that the Harbor Expansion makes it a better game overall – even if you don’t include a fifth player. Of course, using the new rules in the expansion make the playmat unnecessary but you can always use it for the base game rules, especially with first timers.