05/05/2026
Maestro.
Yesterday, Leonardo da Vinci won the game. Michelangelo scored several spectacular victories in the Galleries, especially in round 3, but it was only enough for 116 points 🙂
Area majority with two players? Until yesterday I didn’t believe in it, but it actually works. On top of that, the Collectors’ Lodge sets the scoring for each region color. So it’s worth using your influence to lobby for the color that suits you, as long as you can maintain your majority there 🙂
Leonardo has inventions that let him win ties and count 2 as 3, while Michelangelo has to carve more statues or busts from stone. Those stones feel so real they can even pretend to be Collectors in the Lodge.
In each of the 4 rounds, three regions are highlighted, those are where the popular Galleries go. From round two onward, we also have three secondsry Galleries. Each region becomes popular once per game, and the order is determined by drawing tiles, so it’s random.
Sometimes it’s better not to score, two points and losing a artwork can actually be a worse deal.
And then there are resources, master or assistant, and when you can use them is determined by the clock of the brush and chisel.
4 rounds of 12 turns, each player plays 3 action cards.
Where to play a card and whether to maximize the action or instead take a Patron card to score or a Mecenas for extra actions.
Maestro is a multi layered game about choosing the best path to fame and leaving your mark in history.
Workshops also help, because developing them is a very efficient source of points, and a developed workshop requires fewer resources. We also have total asymmetry, Michelangelo removes tiles from the Sistine Chapel, while Leonardo works on inventions, creating patterns on his workshop board.
Moving across the map of 16th century Italy, sending your works to Florence or to Galleries you control, there are lots of options, and yet each player really has only 20 main actions to perform.
A perfect game for two players, and even more challenging with four.
Highly recommended ♥️
The preorder has just started, and to celebrate I’ve got a little surprise for you,
💰10% off with the code: catinboardgamebox
