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Questions & Answers

  1. FAQIs this only a game for 4 players?
  2. Why would anyone buy a boardgame for which you need exactly 4 players?
  3. Will there be future expansions of the Game?
  4. Will Geode Games publish different games in future? What about?
  5. What’s the message of this game? Why are Good and Decent Citizens so Bad?
  6. Will there be a movie/videogame/novel/action figures about Krakow 1325AD?
  7. I disagree with the way Polish Medieval history is portrayed. I find the game unfair, inaccurate and/or insensitive in the way it portrays Nobility/the Church/my Secret Society/the Underworld.
  8. I cannot buy or find the game in my town/country! Where can I get the game?
  9. I temporarily reside in a penitentiary facility, bored stiff with the gym and have bought the game. However, the Warden will not allow us to play the game, claiming the ideas in this game will affect our ability to readjust into society – A: is this true and B: what can we do now ?
  10. What are all these fascinating Intrigues about? Why did the Vegetarians build a rocket in the first place and who was responsible for the outbreak of Black Death?
  11. What’s the difference between Remove and Replace on the Special Cards?
  12. How do we decide whether to play 1, 2 or 3 Game Years? How long will each take and what will the additional Years offer in terms of game dynamics?
  13. Some of my friends stare at their cards and cannot make up their minds, which slows the game down. Are there tricks to speed up the game?
  14. Gold Placement is supposed to be done in secret and without discussing tactics between players in a team. How do we ensure people do not cheat on this?
  15. Some of the Special Intrigues are great, but they only have a Support value of 3. It is so difficult to make them Successful. How do we get them into the game?
  16. Why is there a sequence to Gold Placement (according to Seasonal Initiatives)? After all, you cannot change your allocation after seeing what another player has done isn’t it?
  17. But is that fair? The player who has the Winter Initiative may now loose some of his hard-earned Gold Tokens? Why?
  18. How do I win this Game? Is it just up to my luck and the cards I am dealt? What helpful hints do you have?

Q: Is this only a game for 4 players?

A: Yes, Krakow 1325 AD can only be played by four players. The special dynamics (being part of a team of two players, but playing yourself through the Secret Identity) only work in this way, with four types of Intrigue Cards. I have designed an adapted version for 3 players, which is quite different and requires additional pieces. This may become available in the future as an expansion.

Q: Why would anyone buy a boardgame for which you need exactly 4 players?

A: This is not as bad as it might seem. Most boardgames you find in the shops can “supposedly” be played by 2-5 or 2-6 players. But if you get to know these games, you usually find out the game mechanics don’t work equally well for different numbers. Playing “Risk” or “Cluedo” with only 3 players (or the basic “Settlers of Catan” on a small island clogged by 4 players) is not much fun, for example. Krakow is made exactly for 4 people and it has a perfect fit and interaction for this (common) number of players. We preferred to make The Best Game for Four, rather than Just Another Game for 2-5! And we hope many people will recognise and appreciate this….

Q: Will there be future expansions of the Game?

A: There is a real possibility a small expansion will be published in the near future (2009). This expansion would include 8 or 12 new Intrigue Cards, as well as a Rules expansion and playing pieces for a 3-player adapted version. There are also ideas for a follow-up game, which takes the story of Krakow 1325 AD outside the city walls and into the surrounding countryside.

Q: Will Geode Games publish different games in future? What about?

A: Next to the possible expansion set to the Krakow 1325 AD game (mentioned above), there is a clear idea to develop a follow-up game. This will be a stand-alone game (not an expansion), which would take you out of the “safety” of the Polish Royal City and into the wilderness of the Province. You will of course meet all your friends and enemies (Good and Decent Citizens, Monks & Mystics, Secret Societies and Underworld) again, as they struggle to control the vital trading routes of the Kingdom.

Q: What’s the message of this game? Why are Good and Decent Citizens so Bad?

A: You can pick your favourite answer from the four options below:

Q: Will there be a movie/videogame/novel/action figures about Krakow 1325AD?

A: That all depends on the commercial success of the game, of course. But certainly, yes. We hope Sir Ian McKellen would play the role of Myron, the awkward wizard from the True Blue Magic Shop. And Sharon Stone could appear in “Dirty Laundry”. And we want a computer game, where you can join the Ox Cart Bombers and break Military Rule yourself!

Q: I disagree with the way Polish Medieval history is portrayed. I find the game unfair, inaccurate and/or insensitive in the way it portrays Nobility/the Church/my Secret Society/the Underworld.

A: If you own the game, I advise you to just play it again. Really do your best to win this time. If you manage to win, you will instantly feel much better about this stuff.
If you don’t own the game, what’s your question?

Q: I cannot buy or find the game in my town/country! Where can I get the game?
A: Now there’s an excellent Frequently Asked Question! Go to the Where to Buy page on this website and see which shops sell the game near you. The game will also be sold in Internet shops, for which you will probably need a Credit Card or Paypal.
If you still can’t find any solution to your important question, send us an email directly (info@krakowgame.com). We will do what we can, because you are Our Flock !

Q: I temporarily reside in a penitentiary facility, bored stiff with the gym and have bought the game. However, the Warden will not allow us to play the game, claiming the ideas in this game will affect our ability to readjust into society – A: is this true and B: what can we do now ?
A:  A: Yes, The Warden is right. B: Prison Riot!

Q: What are all these fascinating Intrigues about? Why did the Vegetarians build a rocket in the first place and who was responsible for the outbreak of Black Death?
A: You can read some of the full Intrigue Stories on this website (just for entertainment).

For Rocket Science:
The brightest minds among the Vegetarian Dining Club set out to develop a Rocket to fly to the moon and collect enough Green Cheese to destroy the Cheese Makers Guild, which they accuse of price fixing. After months of design and experiments, the first large rocket makes its maiden flight from the banks of the Vistula. What should have been a major success turns to tragedy, when the missile hits and sinks the passing Royal vessel Fearless. Impressed by the carnage, the Army captures the scientists and locks them up in the Army Headquarters, where they can “continue their promising work in a secure environment”. They are observed and guarded closely by armed Military Advisers, with whom an inspiring conversation about cheese storage or recipes for horseradish soup is impossible.

For Black Death:
Hundreds of rats, arriving on a river barge, rush over its mooring lines to enter the town in search of food. Unfortunately, they carry the Plague virus from distant, ravaged lands. An old Grain Merchant, unconcerned with vermin control on his ships, provided passage into Krakow for these deadly passengers. But the real causes of the resulting tragedy are the crowded, squalid living conditions of the poor and a widespread belief that prayer and penitence, rather than public health measures, could rid the town of this deadly epidemic. Within weeks of Black Death arriving, the dead have to be collected daily. Churches and graveyards go into 24-hour service, as they become the centre of remaining public life.

Q: What’s the difference between Remove and Replace on the Special Cards?

A: A “Remove” Special Intrigue allows you to take away the opposing team’s Influence Tokens (either on the board or from a Treasury). A “Replace” Special Intrigue earns you your own Influence Tokens to replace the enemy Tokens you have just removed (the same Influence Type in the same City Area).

Q: How do we decide whether to play 1, 2 or 3 Game Years? How long will each take and what will the additional Years offer in terms of game dynamics?

A:
Normally, the 1-year game is only recommended if you have little time (less than one hour) or when teaching the game to a new player. For teaching, you could also play just two Seasons (Spring and Summer – alternate the Initiative between Teams), then go straight to Year End Actions. This would only take about 30 minutes of playing time, but give the new player a feel how the card game and the scoring of Victory Points work.

The 2-year version of the game is the standard. If players are experienced, this should take around 90 minutes to complete. The beauty is that you will have good reasons to hide your Secret Identity from your opponents. After the first Game Year is completed and Victory Points earned, the game dynamics could change drastically: everyone is eyeing the Group, which has the highest score. And one Team is likely to be several points behind their opponents, so they MUST do well on the mapboard to win in the second Game Year (even if this means forgetting about their Secret Identity).

The 3-year version should take experienced players over 2 hours to play and is certainly recommended for Tournament Play. It is certainly the best, and not just the luckiest, player who should win (after playing 12 hands of Intrigue Cards in 3 years). This version allows a Team, which had a really bad year on the Board (scoring less than 5 Victory Points), to bounce back in another good year to fully compensate. Sometimes, you might find that one Team is in a hopeless position after 2 Game Years. If this is not in a Tournament, you might then quit the game and determine the Winner immediately.

Q: Some of my friends stare at their cards and cannot make up their minds, which slows the game down. Are there tricks to speed up the game?

A: Play often. Get in the habit of loudly stating the name of the Intrigue, when you Start it (so everyone knows immediately whether it can be Blocked). Announce the Support and Obstruct Strengths of your cards clearly as well. This helps everyone to make up their minds quicker. Play often – you will get to know the Intrigues and quickly see what kind of cards you have in every Season.
One simple tip: if you are the fourth (last) player in a round you see you cannot Obstruct the Intrigue (you don’t have enough Obstruct Points on any card) – just tell the Starting Team that their Intrigue is Successful immediately. They can collect and place their Influence Tokens, while you only decide which Intrigue to discard. Note that you must always show the Intrigue you play during the Season, even if you have already said you cannot influence the outcome.
And finally: if someone is really too slow and simply indecisive: start teasing, joking and yawning…..or get a round of drinks. It’s a game – everyone should enjoy it and not be rushed. But if everyone  makes up their minds a bit faster, the game will become more enjoyable for everyone.

Q: Gold Placement is supposed to be done in secret and without discussing tactics between players in a team. How do we ensure people do not cheat on this?

A: The best security is in the Honour System, which stems from the Middle Ages. It means you simply don’t cheat, because it is not honourable. More modern is the Threaten System. It means you tell players that they are not your friend anymore (if you are a Good and Decent Citizen) or you will throw them over the balcony (if you are in The Underworld) if they cheat. A final solution would be to appoint a neutral, fifth person to be Referee. This would mean you suddenly have the Five-Player version of the game! The Referee watches over honest play and can penalize players in Gold Tokens, if they discuss where to place their Gold. We recommend the Referee be an older person, preferably with other hobbies or pets, because this role is far from stimulating.

Q: Some of the Special Intrigues are great, but they only have a Support value of 3. It is so difficult to make them Successful. How do we get them into the game?

A: These strong Intrigues (like Black Death, where the opponents loose an Intrigue card each, every Season) are powerful, but have to be handled in a special way. If you play them early in a Season, you should have the Initiative on your side and/or hope your partner can back up your Intrigue with a big card in Support – a 6 or 7. That brings the total Support up to 9 or 10, which means Opponents still have to do their best to beat this (including your benefit of the Initiative). If you do not have the Initiative, they will usually fail if Started early in a Season – not a good idea.
Another strategy is to keep the Special Intrigue card tucked away in your hand until the very end of a Season. If you get the chance to Start an Intrigue when everyone has only 4 or 5 cards left in their hand, you will often find people have run out of anything good – and your Special Scheme might even succeed if supported by 3 or 4 Support by your partner.
Finally, you can play the Special Intrigue early on (with your Initiative) – and the threat of the special effects will force your Opponents to play big cards to stop it. And even if the Intrigue does not succeed, it will have helped take out some big cards from the opponents, which you will no longer need to face later on in the Season.

Q: Why is there a sequence to Gold Placement (according to Seasonal Initiatives)? After all, you cannot change your allocation after seeing what another player has done isn’t it?

A: That is perfectly true – you may not change it. Everyone should remove their Treasury Box and show their Gold Allocation at the same time. But there must be an order to the actual placement on the mapboard, because there is a limit of 12 Gold Tokens per City Area. If other players have put a lot of Gold in one City Area, a player who places his Gold after them may loose out by forfeiting the excess Gold in this Area.

Q: But is that fair? The player who has the Winter Initiative may now loose some of his hard-earned Gold Tokens? Why?

A: Generally, it is an advantage to have Initiative in the later Seasons of the Game Year. By this time, the Influence Tokens from previous Seasons are already on the board and this makes it easier to target your Intrigue efforts in those City Areas, where your Tokens can give you the majority. The later placement of Gold Tokens (where you may loose Gold) compensates for this advantage.

Q: How do I win this Game? Is it just up to my luck and the cards I am dealt? What helpful hints do you have?

A: That is not an easy question – but if you play 2 or 3 Game Years, luck in your hands of cards will not be a major factor. If you play 2 Years, you will receive 8 hands of 9 cards each – and so will your partner. Between those 144 cards, you will have seen them all, in many combinations. You influence your chances for victory by cleverly using the (good or bad) cards you are dealt to your best advantage.

Here are my general hints, based on my personal experience of more than two years and a hundred games of playtesting: