Review -- MICHELANGELO

MICHELANGELO

Michelangelo sounds like a game that would be tied to the famous painter in some fashion, and it is with players taking on the roles of the famous painters assistants.
Now if that idea just caused you to yawn, well one can’t blame you, the premise of this game is not one which inspires much excitement.
The objective from the rulebook is not much better either. “In this game you will be one of these assistants, splitting your time between Michelangelo’s workshop and the political beehive of Renaissance Italy. You will earn money and points by helping Michelangelo, as well as making connections in some of the most powerful and influential families of the world.”
Heart be still, I am not sure I can stand the anticipation of playing a game with such awe inspiring goals.
The box is nice, but once you get inside, you kind of get a feel for where this game is going. There is a bag full of multi-coloured disks, some which you have to apply stickers to. This is never a particularly pleasing realization in terms of game components because if the game becomes a regular one to play, stickers have a way of lifting at the edges, collecting dust, and ripping off.
There are also small piles of cards to be used in the game, and handy turn reference cards which should frankly be standard in any game.
The game does allow for two-to-five players, so that is a nice feature. A couple can play, or you can invite some friends to participate.
The board is another problem area with the spaces not seeming quite large enough for the aforementioned disks.
The problem here is how to get anyone excited to give the game a spin. “Hi this game allows you play an assistant to a great painter and ...” And you never get to finish the explanation because they are already suggesting you play whist instead.
The game play seems solid enough and has some decisions along the way, although the chaos factor is pretty high.
Not a game that I’d rush out to buy, there are just better ways to invest a boardgaming dollar.
The game is a recent one, debuting only last year (2009) from creators James Ernest and Mike Selinker, and published by Bucephalus Games.
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Review first appeared in Yorkton This Week newspaper April 14, 2010 - Yorkton, SK. Canada