Venice

Set in the glorious 16th‑century city‑state, Venice puts each player in the shoes of a wealthy, well‑connected merchant. You control two gondolas that glide through the narrow canals, visit buildings, train assistants and fulfill lucrative contracts. Every move can trigger assistants already placed on buildings along the way, but only the assistant on the space where the gondola stops can be trained and upgraded. These assistants are the engine for generating resources, trading goods, earning money and unlocking building‑specific actions.

Produced resources are stored in the gondola and used to satisfy contracts that award victory points. However, canal space is limited; passing another player's gondola spreads gossip and raises your suspicion level with the Inquisition. To lower suspicion you can visit and donate to churches or academic institutions, or take risky illicit actions that yield cash or information but also attract attention.

Throughout the game, being a well‑known merchant can open political doors, but at the end the player with the highest suspicion is punished by the Inquisition, losing despite having the most points. A solid solo mode lets a single player face automated challenges. With network‑building, pick‑up‑and‑deliver, worker placement and trading mechanics, Venice blends economic strategy and political intrigue in a 60‑90 minute experience for 1‑5 players of medium complexity (weight 3.06).