# The Taverns of Tiefenthal

## General Info
- **Year Published**: 2019
- **BGG Rating**: 7.6
- **BGG Rank**: #247
- **Players**: 2-4 (Best with: 3)
- **Duration**: 60 min
- **Weight**: 2.69 / 5
- **Designers**: Wolfgang Warsch
- **Artists**: Dennis Lohausen
- **Publishers**: Schmidt Spiele, 999 Games, Arclight Games, Broadway Toys LTD, CMYK, Compaya.hu: Gamer Café Kft.
- **Categories**: Card Game, Dice, Medieval
- **Mechanics**: Deck, Bag, and Pool Building, Dice Rolling, Open Drafting, Turn Order: Progressive, Worker Placement, Worker Placement with Dice Workers

## Verdict
If you enjoy deck-building games with a dice-rolling twist and an engaging theme, The Taverns of Tiefenthal is an excellent choice for your table!Satisfying deck buildingClever dice mechanicsAddictive modular progressionFun medieval themeConstant strategic decisionsSome dice luck involvedInitial learning curveIndirect interactionHIGHLY RECOMMENDED

## Description
In The Taverns of Tiefenthal, you are the owner of a tavern in the picturesque village of Tiefenthal, where competition is fierce and the clientele demanding. Your goal is to transform your humble establishment into the most popular meeting point in the region, attracting everyone from common citizens to the wealthiest nobles. But how to do it? The key lies in expanding your tavern and optimizing its operations, ensuring that money and beer never stop flowing! 

The game cleverly combines deck, bag, and pool building, dice rolling, and worker placement mechanics. Each round, you'll roll dice to determine your actions, which can range from hiring new staff, buying ingredients, or even inviting entertainers to liven up the atmosphere. Dice drafting is crucial, and you'll need to think carefully about where to allocate your workers (which are the dice themselves!) to maximize your profits and customer satisfaction. 

One of the great differentiators of The Taverns of Tiefenthal is its modular structure. The game comes with five modules that can be added progressively, allowing you and your group to increase complexity and strategic depth as you become familiar with the basic rules. This makes the game accessible for newcomers and challenging for veterans. Get ready to make tough decisions: focus on money, ensure a constant flow of beer, or invest in improvements that attract nobles? The choice is yours, and the success of your tavern depends on it!

## How to Play
Objective of the Game
Welcome, esteemed tavern hosts, to the dimly lit, but ever-so-charming, village of Tiefenthal! In *The Taverns of Tiefenthal*, you'll step into the shoes of a tavern owner, eager to attract the wealthiest guests and expand your humble establishment. Your ultimate goal? To build the most lucrative tavern in all of Tiefenthal!

Over 8 exciting rounds, you'll skillfully manage your dice, develop your personal deck of cards, and strategically invest in tavern expansions. The player who has amassed the most **Victory Points** by the end of the 8th round will be crowned the most successful tavern host and win the game!

Preparation (Setup)
Alright, gather 'round, folks! Let's get this tavern ready for business. Here’s how to set up *The Taverns of Tiefenthal* for a smooth first night (Module 1):


    First, grab the **Monastery Board** and lay it out with the summer side (no snow!) facing up. Slot the **Schnapps Tiles** into the three recesses, making sure the schnapps aren't visible.
    Keep the **Dice Coasters** handy – you’ll be passing these around during the game, so leave some space in the middle of the table.
    Assemble the **Round Marker (Moon)** and place it just above the first box on the round track at the top of the **Monastery Board**.
    Take 3 **Counter Guests** per player and place them next to the **Monastery Board**. Any extras go back in the box.
    Now for the cards!
        
            From the **Tavern Cards**, set aside all **Bards** – they're for later modules. Sort the remaining **Tavern Cards** (Beer Merchants, Dishwashers, Waitresses, Tables, and Beer Suppliers) by type and arrange them as an open display, in order of ascending cost. Make sure everyone can reach them! The cost is in **Doubloons** in the top-left corner.
            Next, sort the **Guest Cards**. Find the 8 guests that cost 3 **Beers** (check the top-left corner) and place them as a face-up stack.
            Remove the 10 **Guest Cards** with a white die symbol – they're also for later modules. Shuffle the rest of the **Guest Cards** and place them face down as a draw pile to the left of the 3-Beer guests. Then, draw 4 cards from this pile and lay them face up to the right of the 3-Beer guests.
            Finally, place the **Noble Cards** as a face-up stack to the right of the other **Guest Cards**.
        
    
    Each player takes a **Tavern Board** and a set of 10 **Equipment Tiles**: **Tables, Waitress, Cashbox, Monk, Dishwasher, Safe, Host, Barrel, Beer Supplier, and Beer Storage**. Place each tile in its designated area on your **Tavern Board**, making sure the **Doubloon** symbol is visible in the top-left corner. Align your **Host** tile so the **Victory Points** are hidden.
    Each player also takes a yellow **Safe Marker** and places it on the "0" space of their **Safe**, and a brown **Beer Storage Marker** on the "0" space of their **Beer Storage**.
    Grab a **Dice Coaster** and place it in front of you. Then, each player takes 4 **White Dice**. The colored dice (your player color) go into a general supply on the table.
    Now, build your starting deck! Each player takes their 7 **Regular Customer Cards** (identifiable by the tablecloth color) and adds 1 **Waitress**, 1 **Table**, and 1 **Beer Supplier** from the general supply of **Tavern Cards**. Shuffle these 10 cards to form your starting deck and place it face down to the left of the Tables on your **Tavern Board**.
    Each player takes a **Monastery Marker** in their color and places it on the "0" space of the track on the **Monastery Board**.
    The player who was last in a tavern gets the **Beer Mug** – you're the **Start Player**!
    All other components can go back in the box; they aren't needed for this introductory game (Module 1).


The Turn of Play
A night in your tavern is a bustling affair, divided into 7 phases, played over 8 rounds. Let's break down how a round unfolds:


    New Evening in the Tavern (Start Player)
        The **Start Player** moves the **Round Marker (Moon)** to the next space on the **Round Track**. If it's the first round, place it on the first space. Whenever the **Round Marker** moves onto a bonus symbol, all players immediately receive that bonus!
    
    The Tavern Fills Up (All Players Simultaneously)
        Time to welcome your guests! Simultaneously, each player reveals the top card of their deck and places it face up in the appropriate spot in their tavern. Keep drawing cards until all your **Tables** (both existing and any new ones drawn this phase) are occupied. Nobles are quite social; the first **Noble** you draw goes to a free **Table**, and any subsequent **Nobles** drawn this round stack on top of that first one!
        Remember: If your deck runs out, shuffle your discard pile to create a new draw deck.
    
    Here Comes the Waitress (All Players Simultaneously)
        For each **Waitress** you drew this round, you get to take 1 **Die** in your player color from the general supply, roll it, and place it below your **Tavern Board**. If you've hired a permanent **Waitress** (by upgrading the tile), you also get an additional die! You can have a maximum of 3 dice in your player color at any time.
    
    How Can I Serve You? (In Turn Order)
        First, everyone rolls their 4 **White Dice** on their **Dice Coasters** simultaneously, then returns them to the coaster, numbers facing up. Starting with the **Start Player** and going clockwise, each player selects 1 **White Die** from their coaster and places it below their **Tavern Board**. After everyone has chosen one, pass your **Dice Coaster** (now with 3 dice) to the player on your left. Repeat this process three more times until all coasters are empty and each player has 4 **White Dice** below their **Tavern Board**. These dice, along with your colored dice, will be used for actions!
    
    Planning Your Actions (All Players Simultaneously)
        Before the real action begins, it's planning time! Take all the dice below your **Tavern Board** (both white and colored) and place them onto any appropriate action spaces. This is a planning phase, so you can freely change your mind later if needed.
        
            An action space with a "?" accepts a die of any value.
            An action space with specific pips requires a die of that exact value (unless using a **Dishwasher**).
            A green arrow with "1x" means only one die can be placed there.
            A green arrow with "..." means any number of dice can be placed there.
        
        Pro Tip: If you have multiple **Nobles** at one table, you can still only place 1 die on the topmost **Noble** card's action space.
        Dishwashers are great! For each one in your tavern, you can place a die on any action space and treat its value as 1 higher. The die isn't rotated, so you can remember you used a **Dishwasher**. You can even use multiple **Dishwashers** on the same die, but a "6" can never become a "1"!
    
    Time to Serve the Guests! (In Turn Order)
        The main event! Starting with the **Start Player**, each player takes all their planned actions. As you use a die, remove it from your **Tavern Board** to keep track. You'll earn "virtual" **Doubloons** and **Beer** – these aren't physical components, but you track them as you go. Actions are dynamic; you can perform them in almost any order! If you change your mind about a die you haven't used yet, you can move it to another unused space.
        Earning Doubloons and Beer:
        
            Serve a Guest: Remove a die from a **Regular**, **Guest**, or **Noble** to earn the **Doubloons** indicated on the card.
            Withdraw from the Cashbox: Remove a die from your **Cashbox** to get 1 **Doubloon** (or 3 if upgraded!).
            Deliver Beer: Place "1" and/or "6" dice on the **Beer Supplier** space. Each die removed gives you 1 **Beer**, plus 1 additional **Beer** for each **Beer Supplier** card next to it (2 **Beers** per die if upgraded!).
            The Beer Merchant Visits: Each **Beer Merchant** you drew this round gives you 1 **Beer**.
            The "House Brew" Barrel: Remove a die from the **Barrel** for 1 **Beer** (2 if upgraded!).
            The Monk: Remove a "5" die from the **Monk** space to move your **Monastery Marker** 1 space on the **Monastery Track** (2 spaces if upgraded!). Pass or land on a bonus space to immediately receive that bonus.
        
        Spending Doubloons and Beer:
        
            Purchase Tavern Cards: Spend **Doubloons** to take **Tavern Cards** (Beer Merchant, Dishwasher, Waitress, Table, Beer Supplier) from the general display and place them face down on top of your draw deck. You can buy a maximum of 1 of each type per round.
            Upgrade Your Tavern or Hire Staff: Pay **Doubloons** to permanently upgrade an area of your tavern (except the Host Counter). Flip the tile to its upgraded side. You immediately receive 1 **Noble** card, placed face down on top of your draw deck! You can reduce the upgrade cost by returning corresponding **Tavern Cards** from that area to the general supply.
            Recruit a Guest: Spend **Beer** to take a **Guest Card** from the general display and place it face down on top of your draw deck. You can recruit a maximum of 1 **Guest Card** per round. When you take a **Guest**, immediately refill the empty spot from the face-down deck. Some **Guest Cards** offer an immediate bonus when recruited!
            Recruit Nobles: At any time during your turn, you can pay 9, 14, or 18 **Beers** to take 1, 2, or 3 **Nobles**, respectively, and place them face down on top of your draw deck.
        
        End of your Action Phase: If you have any **Doubloons** or **Beer** left over, you can save/store up to 2 in your **Safe** or **Beer Storage** (5 if upgraded!). Any remaining **Doubloons** or **Beer** are lost. Unused **White Dice** return to the **Dice Coaster**, and colored dice return to the general supply.
    
    Closing Time! (All Players Simultaneously)
        Everyone gathers all the cards they placed in or next to their tavern this round and discards them face up into their discard pile. If the **Round Marker (Moon)** is in the last field of the **Round Track**, the game ends. Otherwise, pass the **Start Player Marker (Beer Mug)** clockwise, and a new round begins!


End of Game and Scoring
The game concludes after the 8th round. Now for the moment of truth – scoring!


    Each player counts the **Victory Points** on all their cards (both in their draw and discard stacks). **Victory Points** are shown in the upper right corner of the cards.
    The player with the most **Victory Points** wins the game!
    In case of a tie, the tied player who has stored more **Doubloons** and **Beer** (in total) is the winner.
    If there's still a tie, the tied players share the victory.


Tips for Winning
Alright, future tavern moguls, here are a few pointers to get you started on the path to Tiefenthal glory:


    Upgrade Strategically, and Don't Forget Your Noble! Upgrading your tavern areas is crucial for boosting your income and efficiency. But here's a key reminder that's often overlooked: whenever you upgrade a tile, you immediately receive 1 **Noble** card! These **Nobles** are worth valuable **Victory Points** at the end of the game, so make sure to grab them and add them to your deck. Planning your upgrades around when you can best utilize that new **Noble** in the next round can be a game-changer.
    Deck Building is Key: Your deck is your engine! Focus on acquiring cards that synergize with your strategy. Do you need more **Waitresses** for extra dice? More **Beer Suppliers** to fuel your **Guest** recruitment? Or perhaps **Dishwashers** to manipulate your dice rolls? Remember, all new cards you purchase or earn are placed face down on top of your draw deck, making them available immediately in the next round. This allows for quick adaptation and powerful combos!
    Balance Doubloons and Beer: While it might seem tempting to focus on just one resource, a balanced approach to earning both **Doubloons** and **Beer** is often more advantageous. **Doubloons** are essential for upgrading your tavern and hiring staff, while **Beer** is needed to recruit valuable **Guests** and **Nobles**. Don't let one resource bottleneck your progress. Sometimes, using some **Doubloons** to upgrade a **Beer Supplier** can lead to a much larger **Beer** income later, allowing for more powerful **Guest** recruitment!

## FAQ
### How many players can play The Taverns of Tiefenthal?
The game is designed for 2 to 4 players, offering a balanced and enjoyable experience across all player counts.

### What is the average playtime for a game?
A game typically lasts between 60 to 60 minutes, depending on the number of players and the group's familiarity with the rules and modules.

### What is the complexity level of the game?
It's considered a medium-weight game (2.69/5 on BGG). It starts accessible and can have its complexity progressively increased with the modules, ideal for those seeking a growing challenge.

### Are the components of good quality?
Yes, the game is known for its high-quality components, with vibrant illustrations and durable pieces that enhance the overall experience.

### Is this a good game for newcomers to the hobby?
Yes, especially if played without the extra modules initially. The mechanics are intuitive, and the gradual addition of complexity makes it excellent for new players looking to grow in the hobby.

### Does the game have high language dependency?
No, the language dependency is minimal. Most information is conveyed through icons and visual components, making it easy to play even with the English version, or translated into Portuguese.

### What is the main distinguishing feature of The Taverns of Tiefenthal?
Its modular system is the big highlight! It allows you to customize the game experience, adding new rules and challenges as you and your group become more experienced, ensuring longevity and replayability.

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