# Barrage: The Colorado Connection ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2024 - **BGG Rating**: 8.3 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-4 (Best with: 4) - **Duration**: 120 min - **Weight**: 4.11 / 5 - **Designers**: Simone Luciani, Tommaso Battista - **Publishers**: Cranio Creations, CrowD Games, Feuerland Spiele, Intrafin Games, Maldito Games, Portal Games - **Categories**: Economic, Environmental, Expansion for Base-game, Industry / Manufacturing - **Mechanics**: Action Retrieval, Contracts, End Game Bonuses, Income, Network and Route Building, Ownership, Turn Order: Stat-Based, Variable Player Powers, Variable Set-up, Worker Placement ## Verdict Perfect for those who love the base game and want more logistical complexity; bridges change the game!New layers of logistical strategyInteresting construction dilemmasVisually striking mapIncreases base game replayabilityVery steep learning curveBase game is mandatoryRECOMMENDED ## Description If you've already mastered the art of taming the waters in Barrage, it's time to take your engineering skills to Colorado! This expansion isn't just a new map; it introduces strategic layers that shift the dynamics of movement and production. The star of the show is the Bridges mechanic. In the Colorado region, rivers flow through deep canyons that create physical barriers between regions. To connect your Productive Settlements and streamline your logistics, you'll need to build bridges atop the crests of your dams. However, this convenience comes with a significant trade-off: once a dam has a bridge, it can no longer be elevated for the rest of the game. It's a classic 'efficiency now vs. growth later' dilemma. Furthermore, the expansion introduces Productive Settlements—new action spaces located across the Mountains, Hills, and Plains. Activating these requires placing the right number of Engineers and paying a cost in Credits. This cost fluctuates based on your connectivity: if you've built the necessary bridges along the route from the Construction Site, the cost is lower. Otherwise, you'll be paying a premium for your lack of infrastructure. It's a logistical chess match where every construction decision directly impacts your cash flow and expansion capacity. Keep in mind that this is an expansion, so the base game of Barrage is required to play. If you already own the Leeghwater Project expansion, you can combine both for an even denser and more complex experience. For those who love heavy Eurogames with high indirect interaction and tight resource management, the Colorado Connection is the perfect upgrade for your collection. ## How to Play Objective of the Game In Barrage: The Colorado Connection, players take on the role of industrialists competing to harness the power of the Colorado River by constructing dams, bridges, and activating Productive Settlements. The goal is to generate the most Victory Points (VPs) by strategically managing resources, building infrastructure, and fulfilling contracts. The game ends after a set number of rounds, and the player with the highest VP total wins. Preparation (Setup) To set up the game with The Colorado Connection expansion: Replace the base game map with the new Colorado Map. Shuffle the 3 new Private Contracts into the corresponding pile. Add the new Bonus tile to the base game tiles, then randomly select 5 to use. Add the new Objective tile to the base game tiles before randomly selecting one for the current game. Separate the 24 Productive Settlement tiles (A, B, C) and place them randomly on the designated map spaces. Randomly place the 10 Bridge tiles on the Construction Site spaces (4 in Mountains, 3 in Hills, 3 in Plains). If combining with The Leeghwater Project expansion, follow additional setup steps for Private Buildings and External Work tiles. Game Flow The game follows the same structure as the base Barrage, with these additions: New Action: Building a Bridge – Players can construct bridges over their dams to connect regions and gain bonuses. New Action: Activating a Productive Settlement – Players pay credits to activate settlements, with costs varying based on bridge placement. Each round consists of the Action Phase, where players take turns performing actions, followed by the Production Phase and Maintenance Phase (base game rules apply). Actions and How to Play Building a Bridge Place 1 Engineer on a Construction Site action space (non-exclusive). Pay credits: 1 base cost + 2 per bridge already built in that site. Place a Bridge tile on one of your dams in the same area (cannot be on neutral/opponent dams or where a bridge already exists). Immediately gain the bonus shown on the bridge tile. Note: Dams with bridges cannot be elevated further. Activating a Productive Settlement Place 1–2 Engineers on the settlement’s action space. Pay credits for each basin crossed to reach the settlement: 0 if you have a bridge in the basin. 3 to the bank if no bridge exists. 1–4 to another player if they own the bridge (they also gain 1 VP). Gain the bonus shown on the settlement tile. End of Game and Scoring The game ends as per the base Barrage rules. Final scoring includes: Victory Points from built Bridges, fulfilled Contracts, and Energy Track progress. Bonuses from Objective tiles and other scoring conditions. The player with the highest VP total wins. Tiebreakers are not specified in the provided context. Tips for Winning Plan bridge placement early: Bridges reduce activation costs for Productive Settlements but lock your dam’s elevation potential. Prioritize high-value settlements: Type C tiles offer powerful bonuses like extra Water Drops or Victory Points. Leverage opponent bridges: If another player builds a bridge, you can pay them to cross basins—but they’ll score VPs. ## FAQ ### Do I need the base game to play? Yes, absolutely. This is an expansion and cannot be played standalone. ### Does it make the game much harder? The game is already heavy (4.11 on BGG), and the expansion adds more logistical decisions, slightly increasing the complexity. ### Can I use it with the Leeghwater Project expansion? Definitely! Both expansions are compatible and can be played together. ### What do the bridges actually change? They make accessing Productive Settlements cheaper, but they prevent that dam from being elevated, forcing better growth planning. ### Who is this game for? Experienced gamers who enjoy heavy economic games and don't mind complex rule sets. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 18.27 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5604456&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/66814/barrage-new-lands-the-colorado-connection?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com