Windmill Valley Review.
by Ian. Thu, 6 Jun (Updated at Thu, 6 Jun)Introduction
You won't catch me frolicking in windmills or tiptoeing through tulips, so a game based on those wouldn't be on the top of my list.
However, I had a change of heart after giving Windmill Valley a whirl at UKGE. Curious to know more?
Read on for my rollicking review!
Gameplay
Windmill Valley, designed by the talented Dani Garcia and published by Board&Dice.
If you're a fan of Dani's previous work like Barcelona, you're in for a treat.
Windmill Valley is a fantastic mid-weight euro game featuring a unique 2-cog rondel-style action selection mechanism.
You'll be deploying windmills, planting tulips and selecting cards for upgrades on the main player board.
The main board has various sections - the right side for windmills and the market action, the lower left for water flow, and the upper left for upgrade cards and round markers.
Your player board has space for windmills, tulip storage, and cards. There's also a cool feature with two connecting cogs that interact when you turn them!
During your turn, you rotate your left cog to select an action, depending on the water flow and cog usage. You can move up to 4 spaces by combining these factors.
You can increase water flow by spending money and get points as compensation. If the water flow hits 2 or 3, the water amount increases, which allows you to rotate your cog more.
Then, you take actions like deploying windmills, collecting cards, and planting tulips. Initially, you can only perform one main action or reduce the water level for money or points.
To maximize your turns, upgrade your wheel with better actions or segments with a + symbol to take both actions.
The game ends after a set number of wheel rotations, followed by one final round. The player with the most points emerges victorious!
Conclusion
I enjoyed the game and found it to be a solid mid-weight Euro-style game.
These types of games strike a balance between being accessible to those new to the genre and offering enough depth to keep seasoned gamers engaged.
The fact that it can be played within a couple of hours also adds to its appeal, making it a good choice for game nights without committing to an entire evening.
It's always a bonus when a game respects our time and still delivers a satisfying experience.
I do worry that the winning strategy involves getting all or most of your tulips planted but I will need to play more to see if that’s the case