Alhambra

Being a favorite in our collection, Alhambra does not disappoint, and has become a game that I am always willing to play. This simple tile-laying game has a lot to offer.  Players simply collect cards of certain value, and use those cards to purchase different tiles (building, garden, etc...). They then place those tiles together to form a beautiful city with walls, fountains, and buildings.

The player with the most of each color tile receives the most points. There is also an additional way to get points during the game, and that is determined by the longest wall that you have in your city.

(3)

The game is split into three different scoring sessions, the first two being unexpected. Whenever a scoring card is drawn from the card pile (see 3), the game is paused and scores are calculated. Two score cards are placed at different spots in the deck. When the last tile is pulled from the bag, or box, the final scoring takes place (There are, of course, some additional things that can happen at the end of the game that are not listed here).

Alhambra is a fun game for 2-6 players. There are different versions of this game, including a card and dice version. There are also other games very similar by this company like New York (see below).

While New York is also very fun, being very similar in almost every way, I do prefer Alhambra. The design feels richer, with greater details and colors on the different tiles.

Alhambra is a great game, with top marks.