Quick Look: Era of Tribes – 2nd Edition and Beliefs & Betrayals
Designer: Arne Lorenz Artists: Marc Exner, Radoslaw Jaszczuk, Arne Lorenz Publisher: Black Beacon Games Year Published: 2019 (base game), 2024 (Beliefs and Betrayals)
No. of Players: 1-4 (5-6 available with add-on)
Ages: 14+
Playing Time: 60-180 minutes.
(Expansion & Reprint currently on GAMEFOUND link at the bottom of this review!)
Foreword:
I received a copy of the base game and the prototype of the beliefs and betrayals expansions (+ extras) from the publisher. I need to advise that at the time of this review, I did not have access to a complete finished copy of the game so some gameplay, components, rules, etc. are subject to change on final development of the expansion. The expansion has successfully funded on Gamefound, and can be accessed via the link at the bottom of this page. This is a civilization game and heavier weight game that may be a bit too involved for some gamers but for those looking for a more challenging game or are fans of those genres, this title doesn’t cut any corners to deliver you a thorough experience. A quick jump ahead: the expansion, Beliefs and Betrayals, was a positive addition to the base game experience.
From the Publisher:
“Era of Tribes” is an asymmetric worker-placement strategy game in the vein of Civilization for 1-4 players (1-6) where your goal is to discover, expand, develop and interact with your fellow players in Europe from the Neolithic period to the High Middle Ages. You have ten unique tribes to choose from, each with special benefits and drawbacks, different starting conditions. Additionally, you have several ways to end the game and different game lengths to choose from. Era of Tribes gives a real civ-feeling from around 30 minutes per player. In the game, you develop your tribe by placing leaders on your personal Tribal Action Board where you choose 1 of 7 different actions in each turn. This guarantees quick actions and a short downtime.
Disclaimer: The publisher provided the copy of Era of Tribes & Era of Tribes: Beliefs and Betrayals. The opinions expressed in the review are completely my own.
Review:
Initial Impression/Components:
The base game itself is a sprawling, table-hog. There are a large number of components and tiny pieces that make first-time setup somewhat daunting. The quality of these components however, from the thick punch boards, to the wooden pieces are sturdy and printed professionally. It has a large gameboard as well as a fair-sized player board for each player that requires space as well as a level of care not to upset the many small pieces placed upon them. The new player boards will be double layered greatly improving the quality of life of the game.
Favorite:
As the game is large and complex, I’m going to pick two though there are several good features of the game. I enjoyed the improvement wheel/tree that gave players more control over their outcome and playstyle. The use of the Vassals as their own form of resource and how to gain/use them was well done and added an interesting layer to the game.
Least Favorite:
It’s not much of a secret that I don’t like rulebooks – which is funny because I edit them regularly for other designers. This rulebook is another example of one that needs serious revision. In all fairness, it isn’t originally written in English, but the translation is poor, and getting through the rules was difficult. I tend to avoid larger rulebooks unless I am really excited about a game for multiple reasons but I believe taking the time to completely edit the English version before the finalization of any new editions and expansions would be my top priority if this were one of my projects. I spoke with the designer on this topic, and Arne has advised me that the rules will be getting a thorough review prior to final printing and that the English set will be no exception. I’ve extended an offer to assist in the English set specifically as I believe the game itself is sound, and it would be a shame to deter would-be players due to a rule book.
An item from the game itself, though perhaps an unpopular opinion, is the number of actions to choose from and the sub-choices of each action. It is great to be able to choose and tailor your gaming experience but with the sheer number of options, player turns and ultimately the game, takes too long for me. On the first play of this game (3-player) we were trying to play the short version vs the medium or long game versions. Including reading the rules and set up, we played for 4 hours and ultimately had to call the game early because someone had to leave. I’d estimate we could have finished in another hour.
Mechanics:
– Area Majority / Influence
– Area Movement
– Dice Rolling
– Multiple Maps
– Simulation
– Resource Management
– Tech Trees / Tech Tracks
– Turn Order: Claim Action
– Turn Order: Stat-Based
– Income Phase
– Force Commitment
– End Game Bonuses
– Variable Phase Order
– Worker Placement
– 4X Map Exploration (add-on)
Rules:
The rules of the game are in depth and difficult to explain in a short write-up. I’d encourage you to check out more content on this title such as a video of ‘how to play’. For reference, please see the sequence of a round image below to give you a general idea – as per the “Choose your Action” section, there are 7 types of actions to choose from on your turn, and those can have sub-action choices as well.
Areas they did well:
– Civilization building and progression through eras
– Variable powers/tribes
– Battle system
– Improvement tree system
– A lot of quality components
– A “Main Event” game
– Visually appealing
– Incorporation of Theme
– Ramped up toward the end
Areas they could have improved:
– Can be too many choices to make
– Rules (at least English version) should be redone
– Game length estimation needs revisiting
– Felt limiting on resources and being able to do what you wanted
– Dragged on longer than expected, felt slower and less engaging at the start
Expansion:
There are several add-ons to the game aside from the Expansion, Beliefs and Betrayals, that you can get (check out the title on BGG for details) such as the 4X modular set-up board, and the 5/6 player expansionand though I have received those items, I did not try them yet as of this review. I would also advise that if you have not yet played the base game, Era of Tribes, by itself, you should play through a game or two of that before adding to the game as there is a lot to get used to. I am very happy I didn’t immediately try to play the game with Beliefs and Betrayals because it would have been too much to take in at once for the play group I had.
Now, onto the expansion itself! Beliefs and Betrayals is a great expansion to add onto the base game. Note that it is not a standalone title. Thematically, and functionally, it fit well into the game and created a very different feel of the game and allowed for a truly different experience from the base game on its own. The addition of a new religion track (with bonuses and game alterations) where you can choose from 3 religions that have unique attributes was a big part of the change. It adds in new pieces such as the sanctuary and prophet. I have to say, the prophet is easily my favorite piece. The trickster in me cannot resist their ability to go into enemy territory and incite unrest. Beliefs and Betrayals will add to the game time but now that I’ve played with it, I won’t play without it.
Overall:
You need to gauge your time and audience before hauling out this title to play, as it is large in both presence and time, despite its multiple game end triggers. Aside from the rulebook being poorly written in English, I had a good time with this title and would play it again. I don’t have any other games that come to mind with a similar experience in my collection, so I’ll keep it around for that reason as well. The designer definitely put a lot of time into it and has gone through great lengths to deliver a deep title that could be the center of its very own play group amongst veteran gamers.
Final Thoughts:
There are several items in the game that I would consider clunky, or a bit rough around the edges. It gave me the impression of something that was well-defined for a specific playtesting group or the designer themselves but I found multiple pieces that felt like it was just moving items around for the sake of it and with a little adjustment or polish, it could be more seamless. That said, my thoughts on the game are overall positive. I wouldn’t recommend it for beginners but I would for anyone tired of the same old things or light-weight games. Era of Tribes offers an abundance of choice throughout the game and on every turn and as such, a word of caution, be aware that the game length for anyone who struggles with indecision will be significantly increased from the average posted on the box.
I’ll see you next time, back here at The Game Table,
After reading Brad’s review, if this sounds like a game for you at the time of this posting Era of Tribes – 2nd Edition and Beliefs & Betrayals is on GAMEFOUND until Sat, 30 November, and has surpassed its funding goal of €15,000. Check it out and back it HERE.
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Check out Era of Tribes-2nd Edition and Beliefs & Betrayalsand Black Beacon Games on:
Brad Hiscock, aka “Zerility”, is a construction project manager and electrician by trade who was the owner of a 6-time award winning electrical company. His passion for board games has led him from playing hundreds of original titles to creating a design and publishing company of his own, Convivial Games. As an up and coming collaborator on many projects, he is always eager to try new games and meet new people.
