Other Sellers on Amazon
71% positive over last 12 months
- 6 VIDEOS
Image Unavailable
Color:
-
-
-
- To view this video download Flash Player
Stonemaier Games: Scythe (Base Game) | an Engine-Building, Area Control Strategy Board Game Set in Dieselpunk 1920s Europe | for Adults and Family | 1-5 Players, 115 Minutes, Ages 14+
Return this item for free
Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
Learn more about free returns.- Go to your orders and start the return
- Select the return method
- Ship it!
Return this item for free
Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
Learn more about free returns.- Go to your orders and start the return
- Select the return method
- Ship it!
Purchase options and add-ons
Brand | Stonemaier Games |
Material | Wood, Cardstock, Cardboard, Plastic |
Theme | Science Fiction |
Genre | Eurogame, Strategy |
Number of Players | 1-5 |
About this item
- EXPLORE: It is a time of unrest in 1920s Europa. The ashes from the first great war still darken the snow. The capitalistic city-state known simply as “The Factory”, which fueled the war with heavily armored mechs, has closed its doors, drawing the attention of several nearby countries.
- ALTERNATE HISTORY: Scythe is an engine-building game set in an alternate-history 1920s period in Eastern Europe. It is a time of farming and war, broken hearts and rusted gears, innovation and valor.
- VARIABILITY: With five different factions and five different player boards, players can mix and match to enhance replayability.
- QUICK TURNS: Scythe uses a streamlined action-selection mechanism (no rounds or phases) to keep gameplay moving at a brisk pace and reduce downtime between turns.
- LOW LUCK AND RANDOMNESS: Scythe gives players almost complete control over their fate. Other than each player’s individual hidden objective card, the only elements of luck are “encounter” cards that players will draw as they interact with the citizens of newly explored lands.
- OVERVIEW: 1-5 Players, 115 mins, Ages 14+
- SOLO PLAY: Features an Automa to play against in a single player game for a fun solitaire experience.
Frequently bought together
Similar items that may deliver to you quickly
- 7 Wonders Board Game BASE GAME (New Edition) for Family | Civilization and Strategy Board Game for Adult Game Night | 3-7 Players | Ages 10+ | Made by Repos ProductionFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Wednesday, Mar 27
- Stonemaier Games: Expeditions | Strategy Board Game | Competitive Exploration & Engine Building in Alternate European History | 1-5 Players, 90 Mins, Ages 14+FREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Wednesday, Mar 27
- Stonemaier Games: Wingspan (Base Game) | A Relaxing, Award-Winning Strategy Board Game About Birds for Adults and Family | 1-5 Players, 40-70 Minutes, Ages 14+FREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Wednesday, Mar 27
- Capstone Games: Ark Nova Card Drafting, Hand Management Strategy Board Game, 1-4 Players, 90 to 150 Minute Play, MultiFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Wednesday, Mar 27
- Stonemaier Games: Tapestry (Base Game) | A Civilization Building Board Game | Lead a Unique Civilization to Greatness Through Cultural and Technological Advances | 1-5 Players, 120 Minutes, Ages 14+FREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Wednesday, Mar 27
- Avalon Hill Hasbro Gaming Betrayal at The House on The Hill 3rd Edition Cooperative Board Game,Ages 12 and Up,3-6 Players,50 Chilling ScenariosFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Wednesday, Mar 27
Product information
Product Dimensions | 11.81 x 4 x 14.57 inches |
---|---|
Item Weight | 2.2 pounds |
Country of Origin | China |
ASIN | B01IPUGYK6 |
Item model number | STM600 |
Manufacturer recommended age | 14 years and up |
Best Sellers Rank | #21,636 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games) #626 in Board Games (Toys & Games) |
Customer Reviews |
4.8 out of 5 stars |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Release date | August 10, 2016 |
Language | English |
Manufacturer | Stonemaier Games |
Warranty & Support
Feedback
Product Description
It is a time of unrest in 1920S Europa. The ashes from the first great war still darken the snow. The capitalistic city-state known simply as "the factory," which fueled the war with heavily armored Mechs, has closed its doors, drawing the attention of several nearby countries. Scythe is a board game set in an alternate-history 1920S period. It is a time of farming and war, broken hearts and rusted gears, innovation and Valor. In scythe, each player represents a fallen leader attempting to restore their honor and lead their faction to power in Eastern Europa. Players conquer territory, enlist new recruits, reap resources, gain villagers, build structures, and activate monstrous Mech.
From the brand
-
Our games seek to capture the imaginations of all types of people, as our goal is to build games and communities that include everyone and bring joy to tabletops around the world.
We also believe in constantly evaluating and improving our creation process to improve the environmental sustainability and accessibility of our games.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
What's in the box
Videos
Videos for this product
1:24
Click to play video
My thoughts after owning Scythe for several years
Dungeon Loot Armory
Videos for this product
1:47
Click to play video
Scythe - My honest review - and unboxing
Gaming Indoors
Looking for specific info?
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the design of the board game enjoyable and exhilarating. They also appreciate the high quality of every piece and the world-class production. They mention the game has lots of replay value and variety. Customers also appreciate that it's worth the money. Opinions are mixed on difficulty level and speed.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the design of the board game to be enjoyable, amazing, and deep. They say the game requires planning the best actions and moves to make it exciting for more players. They also say the theme makes the game beautiful to stare at and makes for an extra rewarding experience. Customers also mention that the game is fun with a group and has both short term and long term strategies.
"...Scythe is a massively wonderful game of strategy that I would absolutely suggest to any board game enthusiast looking to play one of the greatest..." Read more
"...This game is best for serious board game players but definitely accessible for people who are more casual. So give it a try and play on." Read more
"...The artwork is absolutely beautiful, but there needs to be clearer game icons and navigation...." Read more
"...The upgrade/build/recruit options are fun and new to me. Almost like they took an RTS PC game and translated it to the board...." Read more
Customers like the quality of the board game. They say it's a world-class production, well-made, and in pristine condition. The pieces are pretty well done and the playmats are durable. Overall, customers are satisfied with the quality and durability of the product.
"...cardboard, unlike whole pieces, this makes them feel heavier and longer-lasting. Most of your bits and bobs fit into these mats...." Read more
"...The board game pieces are very good quality and the gameplay is just unreal and exhilarating!..." Read more
"...designed to simulate a human opponent for solo play - is a world-class production...." Read more
"...The component quality is top shelf as all Stonemeir games are. The game also has a solo player mode that is a lot of fun...." Read more
Customers like the value of the board game. They mention that it's totally worth the money, a great economic game, and one of the better values as far as quality is concerned. The realistic pieces are worth the extra cost, and it'll be a good purchase for any gamer.
"...The game is not cheap, and yet it is a good value for the quality, fun and reward the game provides...." Read more
"...Takes some time to learn, but it is so worth it. Give this game a couple of rounds and you will be hooked." Read more
"...This game is totally worth the $$$ we spent on it and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys strategy board games that don't use the luck of dice to..." Read more
"...Played 1-5 players but has extra player expansions. Well worth the price. Makes a good gift for the board game players in your life!" Read more
Customers find the randomization of the board game to be easy to learn and priceless. They also say the game boasts brilliant in-game mechanics that make things seem to flow freely. Customers also mention that the game is very extensive and includes quality pieces. They say it's great for a decently long strategy game, but short enough to not drag on all night.
"...Components are good, board is big. Art is pretty.The replay value is strong.The gameplay is quick once you've done a practice round...." Read more
"Explore, engage, exciting. This is a humble little game with good mechanics that aren't too heavy" Read more
"...Pros:Insane replay abilityOnce you pick it up, it’s easy to retainSUPER fun95% StrategyCompetitive..." Read more
"...Its moves are intuitive, and its actions never feel random nor arbitrary...." Read more
Customers like the variety of the board game. They mention that it's an intense, unique, and well-conceived game with nuanced and quick combat. They also appreciate the many ways to win and the fact that combat is more of a tool used only when necessary. Overall, customers find the game fun and love the strategy.
"...In this way, combat is more of a tool used only when you really need to instead of an end-all solution...." Read more
"...Which wasn’t surprising. But honestly it was super fun and we all loved the strategy. Eventually you get into a flow and the game makes sense...." Read more
"...a lot of different game parts of other games combined into one very strategic game...." Read more
"...Scythe is not an easy game to pick up and play. It's very easy to play the game incorrectly and sometimes the cards or rules are just vague...." Read more
Customers find the variety of play in the board game to be great. They say the game has lots of different options, and adapts to different play styles. They also say each game is different, with endless amounts of possibilities. Customers also mention that the game is complex with good mechanics and plenty of options and strategies. Overall, they find the game fun and dynamic.
"...There are tons of choices to make in the game...." Read more
"...high, as well, due to Scythe's rich assortment of "factions" and unpredictability. I can imagine nearly infinite ways a game could unfold...." Read more
"...Beautiful design! Many pieces! The game is fun to play. Very detailed & players have to keep track of several goals as they play...." Read more
"...enough to create replayability in that fashion and there are a variety of game boards to place all of your tokens that change up the way you play as..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the difficulty level of the board game. Some mention that the instructions and rules are dense, but never felt overwhelming. They say the game is complex, but not so much that they would say anyone wanting. However, others say that it took a bit to learn, and it's hard to learn all the rules at once. They also mention that it'd be difficult to pick up and play.
"...Again, it's complex, but not so much that I would say anyone wanting to learn the game, wouldn't be able to, regardless of their prior knowledge of..." Read more
"...I was surprised to find a very engaging game with an efficient rule set.The system is what makes it work...." Read more
"...Scythe is not an easy game to pick up and play. It's very easy to play the game incorrectly and sometimes the cards or rules are just vague...." Read more
"...Each action produces multiple results and keeps you making important decisions.There are tons of choices to make in the game...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the speed of the game. Some mention that the gameplay is fast, smooth, and the turns move quickly. However, others say that the first game takes a long time and it's hard to learn all the rules at once. They also mention that games can be a bit long especially while learning, and that it has a tendency to end quickly and unexpectedly.
"...The games are long enough that you don't feel cheated out of an epic board game experience, but short enough that the ADD in your friends doesn't..." Read more
"...The first game takes a long time and it’s hard to learn all the rules at once but don’t give up because after that it’s a breeze...." Read more
"...design, is that once you get the general flow of the game, it can play pretty quickly. It took 3 of us 1 hr and 40 minutes the first time we played...." Read more
"...Art is pretty.The replay value is strong.The gameplay is quick once you've done a practice round...." Read more
Reviews with images
-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
I've currently played well over 100 games of scythe, which probably clocks in close to 150 hours of total game time. I can honestly say it is THE most fun board game I've played, and I'm still not tired of it. Many other board games I will vouch for as being amazing, and I've played them several times over, but at some point, even those games become a little stale, and the gameplay itself becomes boiled down to a science. Such is not the case with scythe. It's got just enough random elements to keep it fresh and new every time you play it, without making it so random that you have no control over the outcome. It's the perfect blend. And now with its most recent expansion "Wind Gambits" the game has evolved anymore. But for newcomers, don't let the expansion intimidate you. I highly recommend playing the base game of Scythe for all it's worth (which is a TON) before worrying about playing with the expansion. I am an avid board gamer, and this is truly a one of a kind game that I have yet to become bored with, and I have yet to dice up into a science. Every single game will have you attempting new strategies, and exploring new options to declare yourself the victor. One of the most exciting parts of Scythe is that when the game ends, rarely will there ever be a distinct winner before the final points have been carefully calculated. There is a Scythe app on iOS and Android that I highly recommend downloading for deciding factions at the beginning of the game, and tallying score at the end.
Without going into game play detail (I'll leave that to the rulebook) What I can say is that Scythe is, on the surface, a very complex game, but once you get your feet wet and play it, it really isn't too terrifying to learn. There's only so much you can do per turn, and once you run through it a few times, you begin to see the gears of the game click and turn, and you'll have a well running engine of a faction in no time! If you're just starting out with a group of people who are also new to the game, you're going to have your questions and missteps along the way where you might find you weren't playing certain rules down to their very exact intent, but this is perfectly fine. A lot of the fun in Scythe is discovering all the things you missed, or even may have been doing incorrectly, and changing up your game for the next time.
For the most part, Scythe is an incredibly balanced game. If you get into a rhythm of playing with a core group of people, you'll start to realize the few imbalances it has *cough* Industrial Rusviet *cough* and learn to play around them. Again, figuring out what each faction is good at, how to make it work with your unique play mat, and formulate the best plan of attack, are just a few of the things that make Scythe such an immersive and brilliant game that will have you wanting to re-rack the game again and again. Hour and half to two-hour sessions seem like mere minutes when you really start grasp how fun the game is.
If I had one gripe about the game, it would be the amount of players that can play. It's nice that Scythe can include 7 players, especially if you have a lot of board-game savvy friends who all want to be included. But be warned! 6 or 7-player games of Scythe tend to drag on, and when that happens, more often than not, one if not more people will lose interest, and thus become unenthused with the game. And nothing kills the fun of a game, like some one who is currently playing the game and not giving a crap about it. So if you have 6 or 7 brave souls willing to stick it out, it's best that all parties involved have a vast knowledge of the game, and indeed the actually WANT to play, knowing full well what they are signing up for. The sweet spot for Scythe, seems to be around the 4-5 player mark. The games are long enough that you don't feel cheated out of an epic board game experience, but short enough that the ADD in your friends doesn't start to show itself, and manifest into playing candy crush on their phones in between turns.
Scythe is a massively wonderful game of strategy that I would absolutely suggest to any board game enthusiast looking to play one of the greatest games of all time. If new to board games, I would suggest watching several Scythe tutorials on the internet or playing with some one who has played before and has a good concept of the game. Again, it's complex, but not so much that I would say anyone wanting to learn the game, wouldn't be able to, regardless of their prior knowledge of board games. If you're willing to invest a little time to learn this game, you won't be disappointed!!
The system is what makes it work. If you have played enough games over the years one thing you will notice is how a few of the mechanics are borrowed. Little bits of other working games fitted in just right, like a recipe for a good meal. With that in mind, I would describe this game as a two-course meal. The action mats like the appetizer with the actions playing out on the game board like the main course. During the game, you will primarily interact with these two mechanics.
First the action boards. They are laminated cardboard, unlike whole pieces, this makes them feel heavier and longer-lasting. Most of your bits and bobs fit into these mats. The small squares, most of the figures and buildings start or stay on this matt. As you play you only be interacting with parts of this mat making things much more easier to manage. Each section is just two actions so you will never have to deal with more than these two actions. The main actions on the top will either give resources or allow you to perform an action on the game board while the bottom the optional action will always cost something but will upgrade something, making things easier later or allowing you to deploy something. The player mats are mainly for reference and will be interacted with only when needed, like deploying a mech or using an inlist action giving a quick bonus or stat upgrades.
The game board, this sucker is huge. Not only that but they have a larger board on the bottom that you can add to. On the game board, there are resources, tunnels, lakes and even a central factory. Using your action board you interact with the game board. Choose a move action and move a piece, choose a deploy action and deploy a worker. Using a secondary action to build/place a mech. Moving your workers onto a resource allows you to use the produce action to create resources that you can use any time to pay for costs on your action board. Doing this creates a cycle of production and paying costs to improve your possibilities. You're never doing more than one normal interaction with the game board at any one given time unless you start combat. By moving your character or mechs into spaces with your opponent's pieces starts combat. In this case, worker pieces will flee and or you fight your opponent's characters and mechs using combat cards and the combat dial. During gameplay, you will draw cards with numbers bonuses and gain power with the bolster action. Combat is easy, spend power using your dial and add power cards to add bonuses to it. Each player has the dial and cards face down, reveals them and the highest numbers win. That simple. The loser takes their peace and places them at the home base. The cost is though if you force workers to flee you will lose popularity, apparently, the people of your employer don't like seeing you bully unarmed people. Lastly on the game board are encounters. These are represented by tokens and if your player peace runs into one you draw an encounter card. These are great. Each one has three choices that are tied into one another and will put you in the situation to gain something and lose something depending on what you do. They represent great extra flavor and things that can mix things up.
Combat vs peace. Despite using mechs the game is only one part combat. The other two parts being production and popularity. Combat can be useful but it's not the endgame method. The game is balanced nicely to make it so that no one player can dominate in any one given area, instead of its all about taking what you can do to push past your opponents. In this way, combat is more of a tool used only when you really need to instead of an end-all solution. A player can initiate combat just with the idea of placing a star on the victory track or just when you really need to push out an opponent from a strategic spot. The same goes for resources, you can't win just doing what an econobox does. You will need to fight sooner or later and worrying about resources gives no direct advantage.
Popularity, the final component is how popular your character becomes, despite seemingly small, this is the last third of the game. In this case the more your people like you the more bonuses you get at the end of the game. The end goal is to end up the richest among your peers. You will earn some gold during the game but most of it will come from the popularity track. The multipliers on this track is a make it or break it, mechanic. Being down just one tier on this track can break a win. So popularity is very important and you need to keep in mind throughout the entire game.
One thing I want to bring up though is how the game is balanced so it's very difficult for any player to truly know if they are winning. No single player during this game will be able to say they are absolutely winning. Only at the final moments of calculations will anyone truly know. In the manual, it is stated that this is done on purpose. This is great because it makes for an enjoyable experience throughout the whole game. It makes it harder for those power gamers of the world to create bad situations and makes it easier for new players to enjoy themselves. There is a rule in the game that states that at no time should any player attempt to take their turn calculating the other players. If any player takes more than 30 seconds gauging the other players they automatically lose 10 popularity. A very large penalty considering that's more than half possible.
Overall I have really enjoyed this game despite my previous fears and recommend the base game for any player. For people who end up a fan than buying the expansions is definitely worth it. I got this game for 60, a great buy for a game you can easily spend 90 to 100 for at your local shop. The components despite being cardboard, plastic and wood are well made. The components even play into the rules a little to help smooth certain things over. This game is best for serious board game players but definitely accessible for people who are more casual. So give it a try and play on.
Top reviews from other countries
Ya no lo tengo, mi exnovia se lo quedó. Extraño más este juego que los recuerdos con ella.
EDIT: ¡POR FIN LO COMPRÉ DE NUEVO! IGUAL DE HERMOSO COMO LO RECORDABA.
24 de Diciembre 2023
Reviewed in Mexico on December 5, 2023
Ya no lo tengo, mi exnovia se lo quedó. Extraño más este juego que los recuerdos con ella.
EDIT: ¡POR FIN LO COMPRÉ DE NUEVO! IGUAL DE HERMOSO COMO LO RECORDABA.
24 de Diciembre 2023