Bürger, Baumeister & Co Review: transform the city of Frankfurt am Main

Frankfurt am Main, or Frankfurt, as it is better known, is a German city located in the state of Hessen, on the side of the Main River. Like many European cities in the 19th century, Frankfurt tore down its fortified walls in order to open up space for industries and technological developments.

The idea behind the old fortified walls was to serve as defensive structures that protected the inhabitants and prevented sieges. With all the technological advances at the time, cities no longer needed such large walls to defend themselves.

Today, Frankfurt is the 5th largest city in Germany and the largest financial center on the continent. It is also the head office of the European Central Bank.

Bürger, Baumeister & Co. is set in this era, and development and growth are part of the game!

Bürger, Baumeister & Co. is a 2-player game, age 12+, created by designer Michael Schacht. Art by a virtual design studio, the Design-Main, where various artists work, among them some famous ones like Hans-Jörg Brehm and Michael Schacht himself, the game's designer.

Bürger, Baumeister & Co. was released in 2009 by ABACUSSPIELE, and has not yet been released in Brazil. The game's mechanics are centered on hand management.

The game was developed in 2009 as a tribute to the 150th anniversary of the founding of Saalbau, which opened in 1859 in the city of Frankfurt am Main.

The idea behind the construction of Saalbau was to create a building with a large ballroom and concert hall, and their associated facilities, to rent out these spaces for concerts, parties, and exhibitions. Fun Fact: Saalbau is one of the 15 buildings featured in the game.

The Game

When the great cities of Europe tore down their fortified walls in the 19th Century, a stunning construction boom took place. Sprawling parks, stately residential quarters and industrial district sprang up around the old Medieval city centres. During the so-called "Founding Time", the cities burghers took the lead in cultural affairs and laid the groundwork for many museums, foundations and institutions – many of which still exist today.

Players act as burghers of that time. Through large and small building projects, they try to turn Frankfurt am Main into a cultural and industrial hub. The player who collects the most Fame Points doing so wins the game.

The game's setup is like this: place the game board in the center, and next to it, the offer board. Place the Mayor token in one of the 5 positions on the offer board, and put all the building tiles in the bag. Draw 5 of these tiles and place them on the offer board.

Leave all the coins (the game's money) next to the game board. Each player takes 3 crane tiles, chooses their color takes their respective tile; finally, they take 3 building tiles from the bag to put in front of them. That's it!

There are 3 types of buildings:

- Houses: grant 2 to 3 fame points.

- Villas: grant 2 to 3 fame points.

- Parks: grant 3 fame points.

In a turn of Bürger, Baumeister & Co., each player performs 5 actions:

- 1) play a building tile;

- 2) complete a major project (optional);

- 3) buy a building tile from the offer board;

- 4) move the Mayor;

- 5) refill the offer board.

In action 1, play a building tile, choose 1 of your 3 building tiles and place it on the main board. Please note: the colors of your building tile can only be used in districts of the same color.

This action is quite strategic, because when you build, you earn either coins or fame points, depending on where you place the building tile. You need to decide if you want to go for fame points or coins.

If you want coins, just take them from the stock. If you choose fame points, here's what you need to know:

- you earn the fame points printed on the building tile;

- if there are already other buildings of the same type as yours in the same district, you add those points as well;

- if you placed your building tile in a square with a number inside, you also earn those points.

In action 2, complete a major project, you can also earn points, but only in the same district where you just put a building tile. This is the only optional action and you can earn two types of bonuses:

- pay 1 coin: earn 4 extra fame points;

- pay 2 coins: earn double the points you got in this turn.

In the following example, the player has earned several points:

- their building tile has a value of 3, so 3 fame points were earned;

- the chosen area to build grants 2 extra fame points;

- there is another building in the district with the same type, so 2 fame points are added;

- by finishing a Major Project, they pay 2 coins and double their earned Fame Points.

In the end, they added (3 + 2 + 2) x 2 = 14 Fame Points!

After completing the Major project, place one of your crane tokens on it. This is strategic, since you only have 3 available cranes. Try to use them as efficiently as possible, so you can maximize your fame points.

In action 3, you buy a building tile from the offer board. It can even be acquired for free: choose one from the 5 available tiles, and if you choose the one next to the Mayor, as an incentive, the Mayor will give the tile free of charge!

The other 4 building tiles that don't have the Mayor next to them can be bought by paying 1 or 2 coins, according to the position on the Offer Board.

In action 4, just move the Mayor clockqise on the Offer Board, putting him above the next Coin symbol.

Finally, in action 5 you refill the building tile on the Offeer Board. Pick a new tile from the bag and place it on the empty spot.

Play resumes to the player on the left.

This is a turn of Bürger, Baumeister & Co.!

Ending the Game

If there are no more Building Tiles to refill the Offer Board, the game ends immediately.

In addition to Fame Points obtained during the game, each player also receives points for one color among all the building tiles in their hand. The player will choose one from the different colors available, and earn Fame Points according to the number on the tiles of that color.

After this, whoever ends with most points is declared the winner. If there's a tie, then the player with more Coins is the winner. If there's still a tie, then the game is a draw. That's it!

Although Bürger, Baumeister & Co. is simple to play, with quick back-and-forth turns, it is highly strategic.

Some things to be attentive when placing building tiles:

- consider the other tiles still available in hand;

- analyze the available tiles on the offer board;

- check whether you want Coins or Fame points;

- check what has already been built in the district where you want to build;

- analyze whether it is possible, and even needed, to finish a Major project in that district.

Many factors can influence your construction. This greatly enhances the strategic load of the game.

Another thing to consider is how many coins you have available, as they are used for two distinct but intertwined purposes:

- 1 or 2 coins for Major projects;

- 1 or 2 coins to buy tiles on the offer board.

Think ahead about what you'll need as the game goes on and decide whether you will build to maximize Fame points or if you preferfewer fame points, but guarantee some coins. Choose wisely!

Since a major project can only be built in the same district where you just built, if you build in the last available space in a district and do not finish a major project there, no one else will be able to. This is a great strategy to “lock” your opponents. Use this to your advantage.

Finally, at the end of the game, try to keep building tiles of the same color in hand. They will grant extra points, and these can be the difference between victory and defeat.

Use your strategy, build at the right time, in the right place, and win in Bürger, Baumeister & Co.!

If you are looking for a quick, simple game, with lots of historical content, lots of strategy, and very stimulating for children, Bürger, Baumeister & Co. is the game for you!

Children will, without even being aware of it, do mathematical calculations, additions, subtractions and multiplications in a fun way during the game, since when they build, they earn points and/or money. When buying new building tiles from the offer board, they will spend (or not) coins and, with that, they will need to subtract from the total. This is a great logical-mathematical stimulus.

The coin management, colors and types of building tiles, all of this is very intuitive in the game, but it requires attention and focus from the children.

The game constantly offers decision-making about what and where to build, whether to undertake a major project, or whether to buy or get a specific building tile for free. Use this to teach autonomy to the children. They will love making decisions and seeing if they made the right choice. Take advantage of this and talk about wrong decisions and their consequences.

In addition, there is the historical background about Frankfurt and its most important buildings of the time. In fact, on the last page of the rulebook, there are images and a little bit of the history represented on the game board. Don't miss out on this learning opportunity.

From an educational perspective, Bürger, Baumeister & Co. is a history lesson, it stimulates management, strategy, decision-making, logical-mathematical reasoning and, on top of that, it is fun!

I recommend Bürger, Baumeister & Co. for your collection!