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As a Wizard, each player uses his own Grimoire to quest for fame and fortune in the 2010 game of Grimoire by Z-Man Games. Grimoires are ancient spell books. So in this game, it goes to reason that each player casts spells from their individual Grimoires in order to discover treasures and gain fellow companions to earn the most victory points. Who will use their Grimoire the best and win the game?
The game consists of 5 little Grimoires, Specialty Cards, Tokens, Markers, and a Board.
The board helps organize game play of several rounds. Once any one player has collected either 10 treasure cards OR gained 10 Companions during the game rounds, the game ends. Victory points are then totaled and the Wizard (player) with the most, WINS!
Players gain victory points numerous ways during the rounds of game play.
Each round includes 3 phases: Set up, Grimoire, and Quest Phases.
In the Set up phase, Quest Cards – which are either Companions or Treasures – are placed out on the board. Some are set face down. One is set face up. The Spell level marker is also advanced in this phase. Players can only cast spells according to this level.
In the Grimoire phase, Wizards pick the spell from their book they want to use during the round and secretly places a bookmark on the page. Once all Wizards have chosen their spells, the chosen spells are revealed. The order of play for the 3rd Phase (The Quest Phrase) is determined by these chosen spells.
While it is advantageous to be the first to go in the Quest Phrase – the more powerful spells are of higher level. So will a Wizard choose a powerful spell or settle for a lesser one? The order of the Quest for Wizards is that lower level spells go first – or if you chose a spell no one else chose.
Not until the Spells are revealed do players know which Wizard goes first in the Quest Phase.
In the Quest Phase, each Wizard, on their turn, will use their spell for given effect, take a Quest Card (gain a companion or a treasure) OR if casting a ‘Creation Spell’ take an Item Card – which provides opportunity to collect valuable Victory Points.
The spells in the little Grimoires offer different benefits to a Wizard. Their effects may counteract an effect being cast by another player, or they may help in the actions of the Quest, and in acquiring Victory Points.
As mentioned, the Wizard with the most Victory Points at the end of the game wins. It is not necessarily the Wizard who gathered the first 10 Companions or 10 Treasures to end the game.
While quick to learn, and easy to play, the decisions on which spells to cast provides strategic game play, suspense, and lots of fun!
Who will best use their Grimoires? Each Wizard is on their own!
Grimoire Game Stats:
2-5 players, 30-60 minutes, Ages 12 and up
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