Shitenno

Bought this game on sale because I wanted free shipping for my entire shipment. Didn't expect it to be so good. At its heart Shitenno is a simple hand management/territories control game. But the mechanic where randomly drawn 1st player grouping the cards with the turn order/special abilities just add so much interaction and unpredictability to the game. Oh I want these cards for myself with this ability, how do I group all the other cards so it will be enticing enough for other to overlook the cards I want, all the while trying not to give them any advantage. Should I wait longer to take over this province for higher points or should I take it now, take a bonus token and the advantage for having early control of it hoping for end game bonus? Take the money or army cards? Believe me you will have fun making all this choices. And it is so easy to learn and set up too. It also play quick, usually for a 2 or 3 players game takes about 45 min. Never played 4 players yet but I would think about an hour is reasonable. And it also plays well with 2 players. The components of the game is decent/average. I wish the board is a map for each province than random paintings, which takes away from the theme of territory control for me. One down side, if I have to pick one, is replayability. It can feel a bit repetitive. The board has a minor randam element to it. That might not offer enough variety for some but don't hurt the overall enjoyment IMO. Highly recommend this game.