Cuzco (2022)

Cuzco, the third part of the trilogy of masks

This is the new edition of JAVA, which was published in 2000 between TIKAL and MEXICA. Once again, the designers have paid particular attention to the material and design of the game for your greatest pleasure. ‘Cuzco’ replaces the name ‘Java’. Indeed, during its first edition, the name changed and the place had moved to Indonesia in the island of Java. It seemed logical to put back to the game its initial name desired by the authors and to replace it again among the other peoples of ancient South America! After the people of the Aztecs of Mexica, that of the Mayas of Tikal, here you are with the Inca people in Cuzco.

A nice strategy game

Cuzco is a strategic game that combines tile and character placement. To earn prestige points, players will have to create villages using these tiles, place the members of their clan there to be in the majority and build and then expand temples. One of the originalities of Cuzco lies in its principle of majority. Indeed, it will not be necessary to have the most characters to be in the majority, but to have the highest placed character in a village. This principle obliges the players to stack the terrain tiles to place themselves at maximum height. Once the tiles are placed, the movement of the characters and their position on the field will be of the utmost importance in trying to maintain this majority until the end of the game for the big final tally. These tile placements and temple construction will make Cuzco look great as the game progresses.

A game based on action points

Like Mexica and Tikal, players have a pool of action points each turn. These points can be divided into various actions, the first of which, obligatory, consists of placing a tile on the board. Other actions allow you to bring a character on the board, move it, put other tiles back, build temples, enlarge them, create irrigation basins, draw party cards and finally organize a party in honour of the gods by offering relics present on the cards. Players will have to optimize every shot to achieve victory in order to form the field and place themselves in the best possible position. In general, each turn brings victory points, but it will also be necessary to anticipate the end of the game, where the final count brings the most prestige points! The creation of irrigation basins will offer a second alternative axis to quickly seize prestige points. All you have to do is place water tiles, surround them with land and be in the majority to gain 3 prestige points per water tile forming the basin. But beware, their number is limited and the race is on to whoever lands them first! After a round or two, you will have quickly assimilated the rules and understood that the game requires a lot of tricks and tactics. If it is not on the draw of party cards, chance has no place!

A material for the pleasure of the players

Of course, Cuzco’s quality has been greatly improved, just like the first two parts of the trilogy. Thus, the characters have a nice shape, the tiles are thick to clearly distinguish the different heights of terrain, and as usual, our temples are made of resin to bring a nice immersion and a superb design to the game. Each player will have a game aid which recalls all the possible actions in a few lines explained by iconography. Finally, a large six-part tray will complete the whole thing!

In summary

Cuzco completes, with Mexica and Tikal. Cuzco is a tactical game of placement and majority which is played on the height of the fields and not in number. It is this feature that gives it its full dimension and distinguishes it from the other two.