Ceylon Board Game Review

In the second half of the 19th century, a deadly blight wiped out all coffee plantations on the island of Ceylon, triggering a severe economic crisis. Several entrepreneurs, including the Scotsman James Taylor, began converting coffee plantations into tea gardens. They laid the foundation for cultivating one of the most famous teas in the world. In the game Ceylon, you take on the role of one of these pioneers. You will establish plantations, harvest crops, develop technologies, and export tea to the entire world. The best and wealthiest planter wins.

The game Ceylon comes from developers Suzanne and Chris Zinsli, with the Czech edition published by TLAMA games. According to the box, the game is recommended for 2-4 players aged 10 and up, with a playtime of about an hour, though you should expect a slightly longer game with a full group. The rules are described on 12 pages and are easy to pick up. Both the game board and components feature a vibrant, colorful design that will brighten up your table. The game uses some iconography, but the developers made sure it is simple and intuitive. Inside the box, you will find atypical hexagons that are placed on the game board. This creates a three-dimensional board, which is not common in similar games.

How to play?

As mentioned above, the cardboard hexagons create a three-dimensional board divided into levels based on height. After setting up the board according to the rules, each player takes their color and player board, where they place their plantation tokens (leaf tokens). Next, you place your playing piece on the board along with a plantation tile (circular token) and a plantation token taken from the left side of your player board. Then, you draw three cards and take your starting amount of rupees.

The entire game is card-driven, but the system for using them is very unique. Cards consist of three parts. The bottom and top sections show two main actions, and the middle of the card shows two secondary actions. The main actions are planting, harvesting, trading, contracting with councilors, and technological progress. Before we explain how it all works, let's look at what the individual actions do. Using the planting action, you place new plantation tiles with plantation tokens on the board. With the harvesting action, you can collect tea from plantations, though it depends on the level at which the plantation is located on the board. From a plantation on level zero, you take tea represented by a black cube; on the first level, a green cube; and on the second level, a white cube.

You can even harvest your opponents' plantations, but for every tea collected this way, the opponent receives a victory point. The trade action allows you to fulfill one of the available orders, for which you receive either rupees or victory points. Orders are marked with numbers, and each player's goal is to collect as many different orders as possible. The councilor contract action allows you to support councilors who provide plenty of bonuses and advantages in the game. The final action is technological progress, which grants technology tokens. A technology token is essentially a wild card that allows a player to perform any extra action without needing the required card. Secondary actions include gaining rupees and movement.

Each player plays one card on their turn and chooses whether to perform one of the main actions or a secondary one. Then, they place the card in the designated spot on the board and complete their turn. Now comes a moment that is not common in games. Subsequently, every player in turn order can perform the main action from the active player's card that they did not use, or choose a secondary action. Once everyone has played, the active player draws a card and the next player continues. In the game, it is therefore truly necessary to think about what I will play from my card and what I will allow my opponents to do.

The game ends when the first player removes the last plantation token from their board. Then, players count their points according to the ranking table from best to worst. Points can be earned for the highest number of rupees, for placement on the technology tracker, based on the number of plantations in each area, and for completed distinct orders. As is customary, the player with the most points at the end wins.

Our impressions

Ceylon looks absolutely great on the table; the three-dimensional game board was a brilliant idea from the developers. Moreover, the board is slightly different for every game, so it won't get old quickly. The game has simple rules, and even a beginner will quickly master the basics. The mechanic of performing actions during an opponent's turn is a unique and very functional idea. The active player must be very careful about which action they offer to others, as their decision can significantly help their opponents. At the same time, players don't get bored while waiting for their turn.

Strategic thinking is an advantage in the game, but not strictly a necessity. Ceylon can be played without much advance planning, as you mostly react to the action your opponent leaves for you. The moment your opponent grins because they mistakenly left you a great action and you overtake them in scoring is priceless. Those points are the main goal of the game, and you get them for practically anything. The game also offers a certain variety and does not dictate only one winning path. This can be attractive even for more demanding players who expect greater complexity from board games. The final scoring is usually very tight; it often happens that the ranking of players completely shifts after evaluation.

Rating

In our final assessment, we really like Ceylon, and it is hard to find a negative aspect of the game. From the production and well-thought-out mechanics to the gameplay, the game is simply great. Ceylon is more suitable for beginners or less demanding players, but that doesn't mean seasoned Eurogame players won't enjoy it. After playing, you won't have a fried brain from constant strategizing, as is often the case with heavier games. On the contrary, you can easily carry on a conversation with others while playing and still fully focus on the game.

Ceylon is a beautiful, relaxing game where you step into the role of tea-growing pioneers. For a more authentic experience, we recommend tasting one of the high-quality loose-leaf teas in our offer. Enjoy!

author: Daniel Korčák