The Grand Carnival
A game based around the concept of designing, building and running the perfect carnival. A puzzle, polyomino game for 2 to 4 players involving the designers of games like Paperback and Burgle Bros.
Backers Can get a Print and Play Copy for Only $4 USD or buy a physical copy for $39USD no matter what your budget you should check it out and get in on the action if only for the Print and Play is thats the extent of your budget.
About the Game
Ladies and gentlemen, step right up – the carnival is coming to town! In The Grand Carnival, players compete to create the most impressive carnival this town has ever seen. You’ll need to carefully plan your carnival’s layout, build attractions, hire staff, and manage the crowds, all while learning a few tricks of the trade.
The Grand Carnival is an action-selection, tile and polyomino placement game with some unique twists. While individual turns are quick and accessible for new players, the overall strategy is deep and rewarding for even the most seasoned gamer.
- Plan carefully – Design your carnival, selecting where attractions can be built and where your guests can walk. Only the polyominoes you plan for will have space in your carnival, requiring you to think several turns ahead.
- Race for resources – Attractions, tiles, guests, even carnival staff are all in limited supply. If you see one that fits your carnival, don’t wait too long to claim it.
- Learn new tricks – Powerful abilities allow you to bend the rules in meaningful ways, but be sure to master them before your opponents.
- Easy to learn – The Grand Carnival is good family fun that is easy to teach and quick to play. Watch our video overview or check out the draft rules.
- A variety of strategies – Will you focus on building attractions, collecting tickets, or moving guests? With multiple pathways to victory, there is no “right way” to win.
- Fantastic new art – Ryan Goldsberry, the artist behind Getaway Driver, Paperback, and Burgle Bros (among others) has brought the unique look of 1930s cartoons to life.
How to Play
Details From the Kickstarter Page
Each turn, players cover a number on their player board and then select an action. The covered number determines the effectiveness of their action – and won’t become available again until the next round – so players will need to think carefully about which number to use. Possible actions include:
Select a Foundation tile to place on your fairground. The higher the number you cover-up, the more tile options you have to select from. Each tile is a 2×2 grid and is made up of construction sites and walkways. Attractions can only be placed on construction sites, whereas guests can only move on walkways – so place your tiles carefully.
Select a polyomino attraction and place it on the construction sites on your fairground. The size of the attraction you can select will depend on the number you cover up. Larger attractions can collect more tickets (and can be worth more points) – but can be difficult for guests to move around.
Select a guest token and move it along the walkways on your fairground. The distance a guest can move will depend on the number you cover up. If a guest moves next to an attraction, place a ticket token on that attraction.
If you move enough guests, you’ll be able to hire a carnival barker. Barkers help guests move quickly through your carnival – but take up precious space in your fairground.
After taking your action, see if you qualify for any of the three Tricks of the Trade cards. Each Trick has a requirement that must be met before you unlock its unique ability. Once a player unlocks a Trick, each of their opponents has one turn to meet the same requirement or lose access to that Trick for the rest of the game.
For a quick rundown of the rules and a playthrough of a few turns, check out the video below. For the complete rules, check out our draft rulebook here.