# Windmill Valley ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2024 - **BGG Rating**: 7.7 - **BGG Rank**: #738 - **Players**: 1-4 (Best with: 3) - **Duration**: 45-90 min - **Weight**: 3.07 / 5 - **Designers**: Dani Garcia - **Artists**: Pedro Codeço, Zbigniew Umgelter - **Publishers**: Board&Dice, BO3 Studio, Bohemian Games, CMON Global Limited, GateOnGames, Giant Roc, Gramatury, HIT Games, Laguna, Maldito Games, Mosaico Jogos, Pixie Games - **Categories**: Economic, Farming - **Mechanics**: End Game Bonuses, Market, Multi-Use Cards, Network and Route Building, Rondel, Solo / Solitaire Game, Variable Player Powers, Variable Set-up ## Verdict If you enjoy light eurogames with a charming theme and well-integrated mechanics, Windmill Valley is a perfect fit for your table!Innovative rondel mechanicLovely and immersive themeQuick and fluid turnsMultiple engine-building strategiesHigh-quality componentsMight be too light for expertsLimited player interactionInitial learning curveRECOMMENDED ## Description Get ready for an enchanting journey to Windmill Valley, a game that transports you to 19th-century Netherlands, where famous windmills and tulip fields dominate the landscape. Inspired by the iconic Bloemen Route, you and up to three friends take on the roles of tulip farmers and entrepreneurs, aiming to build the most prosperous floral empire. Each turn, actions are cleverly selected by rotating the gears on your personal windmill board. You'll be able to enhance your wheels to optimize your actions, plant tulips in your fields to secure victory points at the end of the game, and build windmills on the main board to activate valuable rewards from adjacent fields. But it doesn't stop there! Hiring helpers with specific bonuses for certain actions, securing lucrative contracts for end-game scoring, and exploring the local market or foreign trade to find the rarest tulip bulbs are crucial parts of your strategy. Windmill Valley is a lightweight game with dynamic turns and a super clever action selection mechanism that gives you multiple options to build your game engine. With a lovely setting and fluid gameplay, it's the perfect chance to make your competitors green with envy with your blooming fields! ## How to Play Game Objective At the end of the 19th century in the Netherlands, you take on the role of a tulip producer and entrepreneur. Your goal is to build and improve your Mills, acquire tulip bulbs through foreign trade or local vendors to plant them, and seek advantages with the help of assistants and lucrative contracts. The ultimate goal is to accumulate the highest amount of Victory Points to win the game. Preparation (Setup) Board and Components: Place the Board on the table. Place the “X” Pieces, Mill Upgrades, Farm Upgrade Cards, Tulips, and Tools within everyone's reach. Mill Assembly: Each player must assemble their Mill using plastic rivets: Position the large gear on the left side of the base. Position the small gear on the right side, aligning a nut between the teeth of the small gear with the red tooth of the large gear. Rotate the large gear until the red arrow on the base and the red bolt of the large gear are aligned. Board Configuration: Mix the Mill Upgrades by type and reveal two Common Upgrades, one Rare Upgrade, and one Unique Upgrade in the indicated locations (3A). Shuffle the Farm Upgrade Cards and reveal 3 on the board (4A). Position the Sluice Marker and the Water Level Marker on the lowest values of their respective tracks. Shuffle the Foreign Trade Cards and place them face up. Player Distribution: Each player receives: 1 Farm, 1 Mill (chosen randomly), 1 Player Aid, and 1 Tool. 9 Mill Markers and 5 Player Markers (in the chosen color). Initial positioning: Large marker on space “5” of the Victory Point track (7A) and on the Calendar track (7B). A small marker on the Guilder track (position 4, 5, 6, or 7 depending on turn order). The fifth marker stays in the play area for the Queen's Wish. Initial Abilities: Reveal Initial Farm Upgrade cards (number of players + 1). In reverse turn order, each player chooses one and places it in the upper left space of their Farm. The remaining card goes to the board on the Queen's Wish side (8B). Market and Tulips: In reverse turn order, each player places a Player Marker in a market area. Neutral markers are added to fill the remaining areas according to the number of players (2, 3, or 4). Initial Resources: The 1st player receives 1 white Tulip, the 2nd yellow, the 3rd red, and the 4th violet. Final Organization: Position the Mill Markers in the spaces to the left of the Farm in sequence (from top to bottom: 1/1/2/2/3). If there are fewer than 4 players, use the Calendar Limit Piece. Game Flow Players take turns in a clockwise direction. The game progresses as players rotate the gears of their mills. Every time the Large Gear completes a full rotation, the player advances on the Calendar track. Turn Structure: Optional Action: Change the water speed by opening or closing the Sluice. Water Adjustment: Adjust the Water Level (mandatory if the Sluice Marker is at speed 2 or 3). Resource Management: Guilder Track: Gaining Guilders (white numbers) moves the marker up; spending (red numbers) moves it down. The limit is from 0 to 9 Guilders. Receiving Tulips: These are placed in the Farm's Storage (limit of 7). The two rightmost spaces require a payment of 1 or 2 Guilders. If the storage is full or the player does not wish to pay, they may discard an existing tulip to place the new one in its place without additional cost. Actions and How to Play On your turn, you must rotate the Gears of your Mill. This will create a combination of two actions. You must choose one of these actions to perform (or, in specific cases, both). Consult the manual for details on the specific actions available and card abilities. End of Game and Scoring End Trigger: The game ends when a player reaches the end of the Calendar track. When this happens, the current round is completed so that everyone has played the same number of turns. After that, each player takes one final turn. Victory: After the final turn, final scoring is performed. The player with the highest amount of Victory Points wins the game. Consult the manual for details on the specific point counting criteria. Tips for Winning Storage Management: When receiving Tulips, consider whether it is worth paying the additional cost of 1 or 2 Guilders to occupy the rightmost spaces of the Storage, or if it is more advantageous to discard an old tulip to avoid the expense. Time Control: Keep an eye on the rotation of the Large Gear, as each full rotation brings you closer to the end of the game via the Calendar track. ## FAQ ### How many players does Windmill Valley support? The game is designed for 1 to 4 players, offering a very engaging solo experience and also great for small groups. ### What is the average playtime for a game? A game of Windmill Valley usually takes between 45 and 90 minutes, depending on the number of players and familiarity with the rules. ### What is the complexity level of the game? It's considered a medium-weight eurogame (3.07/5 on BGG), meaning it has accessible rules but offers enough strategic depth to be challenging. ### Are the components of good quality? Yes, LongPack Games production is known for its quality, and the components, including the interactive gears, are well-crafted and durable. ### Does Windmill Valley have good replayability? Absolutely! The variable setup, unique player powers, and diverse scoring strategies ensure that each game is different and challenging. ### Is it a good game for someone new to eurogames? Yes, it's an excellent gateway into the world of eurogames, as it combines clever mechanics with an inviting theme without being overly complex. ## Price Comparison ### Best Offers in Brazil - **Amazon**: R$ 468,51 (https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B0D9PK1K5R?tag=bgbot26-20) - **Cangaia Jogos**: R$ 362,69 (https://www.cangaiajogos.com.br/todos-os-jogos/jogos-estrategicos/vale-dos-moinhos-promo-pre-venda?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **Facil Shopping**: R$ 371,99 (https://www.facilshopping.com.br/produtos/vale-dos-moinhos-jogo-de-tabuleiro-mosaico/?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **Bravo Jogos**: R$ 399,90 (https://bravojogos.com.br/jogos-de-tabuleiro-e-cardgames/jogo-vale-dos-moinhos-p?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on Compara Jogos: https://www.comparajogos.com.br/item/vale-dos-moinhos ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 34.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6153659&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 44.97 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5735720&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 44.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6187112&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 44.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6999462&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 48.00 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5282197&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 48.09 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5255191&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 50.33 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5653256&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 53.42 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6788167&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 54.49 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5811530&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 54.70 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6078608&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/67296/windmill-valley?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com