''London'' is a
board game
Board games are tabletop games that typically use . These pieces are moved or placed on a pre-marked board (playing surface) and often include elements of table, card, role-playing, and miniatures games as well.
Many board games feature a ...
by
Martin Wallace. Released in 2010, the game requires players to rebuild London after the
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Thursday 6 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past th ...
up until the start of the 20th century. ''London'' is a card-driven game with a board in the form of a map of London.
It won a Meeples Choice award in 2010 and was nominated for an
International Gamers Award
The International Gamers Awards is an award for strategy board games and historical simulation games.
Per their website, the IGAs ''were created to recognize outstanding games and designers, as well as the companies that publish them. The awards ...
in 2011.
To rebuild London players purchase
boroughs
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle A ...
on the board and play cards from their deck. The cards represent buildings of economic, political, scientific, and cultural significance throughout the history of the city.
This includes general constructions such as bridges,
coffee houses
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non ...
, and hospitals, along with famous landmarks such as
Woolwich Arsenal, and
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is a Grade I listed combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones and engineered by John Wolfe Barry with the help of Henry Marc Brunel. It crosses the River Thames close ...
.
Players must choose which buildings they wish to construct based on the benefits that each card will give them. The management of poverty is central to the game and players can lose a significant number of victory points if they have accrued more poverty points than their opponents.
Like other games by Martin Wallace, ''London'' is considered to involve a strong economic system that players must manage carefully.
After buildings have been constructed they may be activated. Many of the cards earn income for the player and this is the primary source of money in the game. Money is used to buy boroughs, construct buildings, and in some cases activate the cards in play. Players may take loans out but receive a significant penalty if they cannot pay it back at the end of the game.
Reviews of the game state that its "deep strategy" makes it a good game for "smaller groups of serious gamers".
The game mechanics were praised for being thematically relevant in the historical setting.
A criticism of the game is the general lack of interaction between players throughout most of the game.
References
{{reflist, refs=
[
{{cite web
, url=http://www.treefroggames.com/wp-content/uploads/rules/london-eng.pdf
, title=Official rulebook
, publisher=Treefrog Games
, accessdate=23 August 2013
]
[
{{cite web
, url=http://geek-news.mtv.com/2011/03/25/game-review-london-by-martin-wallace/
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110327062125/http://geek-news.mtv.com/2011/03/25/game-review-london-by-martin-wallace/
, url-status=dead
, archive-date=27 March 2011
, title=Game Review: 'London' by Martin Wallace
, publisher=Viacom International Inc.
, work=MTV Geek
, date=25 March 2011
, author=Morgan, Matt
, accessdate=23 August 2013
]
[
{{cite web
, url=http://opinionatedgamers.com/2011/06/18/2010-meeples-choice-awards-results/
, title=2010 Meeples Choice Awards Results
, work=The Opinionated Gamers
, date=18 June 2011
, accessdate=23 August 2013
]
[{{cite web
, url=http://www.internationalgamersawards.net/winners-and-nominees/nominees/2011-nominees
, title=2011 Nominees
, work=International Gamers Awards
, accessdate=23 August 2013
, archive-date=14 January 2021
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114172937/http://www.internationalgamersawards.net/winners-and-nominees/nominees/2011-nominees
, url-status=dead
]
[
{{cite web
, url=http://thegaminggang.com/2011/11/london-is-a-bad-habit-one-hates-to-lose-a-review-of-london/
, title=London is a Bad Habit One Hates to Lose: A Review of London
, work=The Gaming Gang
, accessdate=25 August 2013
]
[
{{cite web
, url=http://www.nerdbloggers.com/nerdbloggers/2011/1/31/review-of-martin-wallaces-london.html
, title=Review of Martin Wallace's London
, work=Nerd Bloggers
, date=31 January 2011
, accessdate=25 August 2013
]
[
{{cite web
, url=http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/15/15231.phtml
, title=Review of Martin Wallace's London
, publisher=Skotos Tech, Inc.
, work=RPG.net
, date=13 April 2011
, author=Appelcline, Shannon
, accessdate=25 August 2013
]
Board games introduced in 2010
British board games
Martin Wallace (game designer) games