Tabletop Game Review: Cacao - Addictive And Fun!

Developer Phil Walker-Harding
Publisher ABACUSSPIELE
Distributor Boardgames SA
Where we got our copy Timeless Boardgames
Table top type Board Games
Players 2-4

NiteFenix

Published July 5, 2016

Like its big brother, this game introduces players to various elements such as mining, farming for cacao as well as gain the most influence over a temple in order to gain the most money at the end of the game. That’s pretty much the premise and it isn’t overly complicated. It might take you a few games in order to get the gist of it, but it isn’t a hard game to get the grips of.

The game exists out of various tiles such as a huts tile, which determines how many workers can perform a needed action, a mine tile (which gives you a certain amount of gold determined by how many workers is sent to it), a cacao plantation tile, a market (to which you can sell your cacao), a temple tile (which the player with the most workers connected to it, gains the most points at the end of the game) and of course a well tile which gives you water (which also contributes towards the end of the game).

How the game works is each player gets dealt a hand of worker tiles and the game basically provides jungle tiles. The playing area starts with a few jungle tiles in play and it is up to the players, going in turn, to place their worker tiles in order to farm for cacao and ultimately make money. As each player places a worker tile adjacent to a jungle tile. If a worker tile creates an empty space, a jungle tile is then drawn and placed to connect to that space. If you place a worker tile next to a cacao field, the appropriate number of workers brings back the same amount of cacao beads. If you own cacao and you place a worker tile next to a market, the amount of workers sell the same amount of cacao to the market in exchange for gold. If you place workers next to a well, you receive water. Again as before, if you place a worker next to a temple, you will want to place the most amount of workers facing a temple as this will up your chances to get the most amount of points from that temple. The least amount of workers adjacent to a temple receives fewer coins.

When every player has used up their worker tiles, the game ends. The score is tallied up by determining who has gained (or lost) the most amount of gold as well as who has the most influence over a temple. Whoever has the most gold at the end of the game wins.

From a quality perspective, I must say the game is very well put together. The tiles are beautifully put together and the box has been given a lot of thought what with the pieces all having their own space to store everything.

So you fancy yourself a tile-building aficionado? Great! Then I have some awesome news for you. From the creators of Carcassonne, comes Cacao, a fun little tile-building game in which you, along with some friends, need to collect and sell Cacao. Sounds simple enough right? Like its big brother, this game introduces players to various elements such as mining, farming for cacao as well as gain the most influence over a temple in order to gain the most money at the end of the game. That's pretty much the premise and it isn't overly complicated. It might take you a few games in order to get the gist of it, but it isn't a hard game to get the grips of. The game exists out of various tiles such as a huts tile, which determines how many workers can perform a needed action, a mine tile (which gives you a certain amount of gold determined by how many workers is sent to it), a cacao plantation tile, a market (to which you can sell your cacao), a temple tile (which the player with the most workers connected to it, gains the most points at the end of the game) and of course a well tile which gives you water (which also contributes towards the end of the game). How the game works is each player gets dealt a hand of worker tiles and the game basically provides jungle tiles. The playing area starts with a few jungle tiles in play and it is up to the players, going in turn, to place their worker tiles in order to farm for cacao and ultimately make money. As each player places a worker tile adjacent to a jungle tile. If a worker tile creates an empty space, a jungle tile is then drawn and placed to connect to that space. If you place a worker tile next to a cacao field, the appropriate number of workers brings back the same amount of cacao beads. If you own cacao and you place a worker tile next to a market, the amount of workers sell the same amount of cacao to the market in exchange for gold. If you place workers next to a well, you receive water. Again as before, if you place a worker next to a temple, you will want to place the most amount of workers facing a temple as this will up your chances to get the most amount of points from that temple. The least amount of workers adjacent to a temple receives fewer coins. When every player has used up their worker tiles, the game ends. The score is tallied up by determining who has gained (or lost) the most amount of gold as well as who has the most influence over a temple. Whoever has the most gold at the end of the game wins. From a quality perspective, I must say the game is very well put together. The tiles are beautifully put together and the…

Tabletop Game Review: Cacao – Addictive And Fun!

2016-07-05

NiteFenix

A truly fun and immersive tile-building game.

Total - 8.5

85 8.5

One of the most positive experiences I've had as of late. If you enjoy tile-building games, then give this one a go.

User Rating: Be the first one !

Second Opinion PartyPanda5 As the chief of your tribe, you must lead your people to fruitful success by growing and trading cacao. This done by placing tiles as well as workers that will help you grow your cacao and build up your kingdom. Cacao is relatively easy to learn and suitable for the entire family to play. With its beautiful board game pieces and tiles, the game is not only fun to play, but beautiful to look at and play with. Whoever has the most prosperous kingdom will win the game. The more cacao you reap, the more gold you will sew to win the game.

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NiteFenix

Editor-In-Chief / Entertainment Editor at Geek Node

Jonathan has been a journalist for several years. Writing primarily about video games, and occasionally films and television series.

He spends most of his time talking crap on Twitter and looking for the meaning of life in all the wrong places.