Terra Mystica


Terra Mystica is a Euro-style board game for two to five players designed by Helge Ostertag and Jens Drögemüller. The game was first published by Feuerland Spiele in Germany in 2012, and was later published in English and French by Zman Games and Filosofia Édition in 2013. Feuerland Spiele released a second German edition of the game in 2013.

Gameplay

The game starts with each player picking one of fourteen fantasy factions, each with its own unique special abilities and costs associated with actions. Players expand their territories by constructing buildings on the game board. Each faction is limited to building on only one of seven different terrain types found on the game board; this makes terraforming spaces so they can be built upon a key aspect of the game.
The game is split into six rounds during which players take any number of actions to improve their society. Actions may involve settling new spaces, upgrading existing buildings, improving infrastructure like shipping, or increasing the faction's status in an elemental cult. When a player cannot perform any more actions, they must pass. A round ends upon all players passing.
One unique aspect of the game is its power point mechanic. Power points are used to cast spells, and may also be converted for resources. Power points are split among three bowls. When points are gained, they first move from bowl one to bowl two. When bowl one is empty, they can move from bowl two to bowl three. Power points can only be used when they are in bowl three, at which point they return to bowl one.
Victory points are accrued throughout the game for a variety of actions. The game lasts for six rounds, after which additional victory points are awarded for end-game goals. The player with the most victory points wins.

Expansions

As of May 2017, the game was ranked fourth on BoardGameGeek, and has been cited as one of the most influential board games of the last decade.
Shut Up & Sit Down gave the game an overwhelmingly positive review.
Ryan Meltzer of the Dice Tower gave the game a generally positive review, and Tom Vasel, also of the Dice Tower, gave the game a mixed review, saying that he could not be sure how well balanced it was without first playing the game many more times.
Terra Mystica's upgrade system was the inspiration for a similar system in Scythe.