Capstone Games - Evolving Gameplay

Stephens

Stephens - Main image
$40.2 $60 In stock

Category: Capstone Games

After a massive earthquake in 1755 that tore down Lisbon and most of Portugal’s southern coast, it was necessary to rebuild an entire nation. The demand for window glass increased so much that William Stephens, a British businessman, saw the opportunity to expand his business in Portugal by investing in the glass industry. Utilizing his commercial skills and civic education, Stephens was able to nurture an unprecedented industry that provided medical care, education, and culture for the workers and their families.

In Stephens, players compete amongst one another in the role of master glassmakers working at the now-famous Stephens Factory to become the most prestigious figure in town…after Stephens, of course. Through clever and cunning planning, all players will develop their works, invest in new businesses, and promote the creation of jobs. Through a unique action-selection mechanism, on their turn players choose from a variety of options, either by activating the Stephens factory or by activating one of their personal investments.

The game ends when the Napoleonic forces arrive in town, at which time the player with the most prestige wins.

Each turn you will choose a single action to perform a variety of options using a distinct action selection mechanism; you either:

  • Take a single glassware from a factory on the game board and perform the corresponding action

— OR —

  • Take a single disk from your player board to assign a worker to a new profession and unlock a permanent ability for yourself.

Includes a Solo mode that features 6 Scenarios and 5 unique Opponents to test your mettle.

Customer Reviews (4.8 / 5 · 5 reviews)

George E. ★★★★★

The way the window glass demand drives the whole economy after the 1755 earthquake is such a clever twist on the usual rebuilding theme. Took one playthrough to click, but once it did I was hooked.

Richard ★★★★★

The history nerd in me was hooked the second I saw the 1755 earthquake setting, and the glass-demand mechanic actually makes the rebuilding feel tense instead of dry. Turns out managing Portugal's window glass supply is way more cutthroat than I expected.

Zoe T. ★★★★★

Didn't expect a game about window glass demand to be this tense, but the rebuilding race after the 1755 earthquake keeps everyone at the table leaning in. The way the glass shortage forces tough trades each round is genuinely clever.