Tournay

Tournay transports players to first‑century Roman Gaul, where the city was founded on the banks of the Scheldt. After centuries of growth, the Normans swept in 881, plunging the settlement into decline. Your task? Rebuild the district by coordinating three domains – military, religious and civil – to restore Tournay’s former glory. The game uses cards sorted by colour (yellow, red, white) and level (I, II, III), creating nine distinct decks, plus a black event deck that usually brings setbacks. Each player starts with two citizens of each class, represented by coloured meeples placed on their Plaza. On your turn you may place a card onto your 3×3 tableau, paying costs that can involve coins, meeples or other cards. Stacking a card of the same colour preserves it, while stacking a different colour discards the older one, adding a layer of strategic depth. Then you choose one of five actions: draw cards, move 1‑3 meeples to draw a level I‑III card, pay two coins to use an opponent’s worker, activate a building by moving a meeple from the Plaza (each building grants powers such as generating coins, recruiting more workers or borrowing another player’s card), or combat an event by paying its cost and taking the event card as a reward. Three event cards are always face‑up; when triggered they can penalise everyone or only those lacking the appropriate defensive card. The game ends when two or more players fill all nine tableau spaces, or when enough “Town Crier” cards have been revealed; everyone then gets a final card‑placement opportunity. Victory points come from displayed buildings and from defeated events. Tournay blends hand management, worker placement with different worker types, layering, end‑game bonuses and a modular 3×3 grid board, delivering a tactical experience in 30‑60 minutes for 2‑4 players. Though the learning curve is modest (weight 2.9), juggling three distinct domains may trip up players who prefer linear strategies. Still, Tournay offers a smooth, replayable city‑building card game, especially for fans of historic themes.