Review of the board game Cyclades: Legendary Edition

After our review of the board game Far Cry: Escape from Rook Islands, today we have another rich text for you. However, this time it is not about cooperation, but about combat. Cyclades: Legendary Edition is a strategy game that gives you a modular map, a variety of units, and the ability to worship the gods. The following lines will tell you how everything plays and whether it’s worth it.

• Number of players: 2–6
• Game time: 60–90 minutes
• Price: 1529 CZK (Tlama Games)
• Provided by: Muzzle games
• Age: 14+

In Cyclades: Legendary Edition, the struggle for the archipelago heats up.

Cyclades: Legendary Edition will immerse you in the world of ancient Greek myths, where you will try to dominate the Cyclades archipelago. This board game combines strategy, tactical planning and divine favor. Without effective management of all of the above, it is difficult to achieve victory. Your goal is to gain control of three megacities and become the ruler of the entire archipelago. Whether you’re building cities, fighting enemies, or worshiping gods, every decision is the key to success.

The game begins with careful preparation. Depending on the number of players, a certain number of gods will be selected, and the rest will be left out of the game. For this, decks of cards of monsters, heroes, priestesses and philosophers will be prepared. Each player places his control tokens and ships on the game board. The game is divided into eras, which are individual game rounds. At the beginning of each era, an optimization stage occurs – cards are replenished, the order of the gods is changed, and prices for mythical monsters are updated.

One of the elements to look for on the map is cornucopia. They give you finances, which you can then use to invest in military resources, move units, or worship gods. Each god has his own chosen one, whom he chooses according to the sacrifice made. If someone overpays you, you should look for another god. Gods give you unique actions that allow you to build buildings, recruit units, or gain special benefits. A player who does not have enough funds to worship the god will remain with Apollo. This god does not require gifts, but only offers a cornucopia, which brings only money to the selected territories.

Each of the gods is assigned a specific role. Athena allows you to build academies, one of the four main buildings required for the metropolis. It also gives you the ability to recruit philosophers, giving you the ability to build a metropolis after getting your fourth colleague. Zeus targets temples that give discounts on mythical monsters and priestesses, reducing the cost of gifts to the gods. Poseidon supports the construction of harbors to increase your control over maritime territories, and ships that you can use to move or fight. Ares rules the land, allowing forts to be built and troops to be raised, which can be moved by land or by ships. Hera is universal – she allows you to build any basic building and hire mercenaries and heroes.

Heroes are a special category of units. Each has a specific ability that can be used during the action, and an ultimate ability that costs the hero their life but provides dramatic effect. For example, Ajax can build a metropolis with his death if you control enough territory. Other heroes, such as Penthesilea, provide protection for your buildings. In addition to heroes, you can also get mythical monsters that have unique abilities. Monsters are activated immediately after purchase, and some of them have their own figures that you can move around the game map.

Combat is an important part of the game. At sea, ships and ports are decisive; on land, it is soldiers, fortresses and heroes. Battles are controlled by a combat die, which determines the outcome of the battle to some extent. Strategically placing units and using the gods’ abilities can tip the scales in your favor. Successful battles will allow you to conquer new territories and gain additional resources.

Construction of megacities is the key to victory. To build them, you will need an academy, a temple, a harbor and a fortress, or four philosophers. The construction of individual buildings occurs through the gods, who have them in the action menu. Once you have built all four buildings, the metropolis will be yours. Alternatively, you can gain a metropolis through hero abilities or capturing enemy-controlled areas, which is how I personally won the game on more than one occasion.

The game ends when one player gains three metropolises or if a player is eliminated completely. In case of elimination, the winner is the one with the most cities and gold. Cyclades: Legendary Edition offers fast-paced gameplay filled with strategic decisions, tension and divine intervention. Each round brings new opportunities and challenges, making each game unique. This game is ideal for fans of board strategy games and Greek mythology.

Cyclades: Legendary Edition is one of the best strategy games of 2024.

I’ve played dozens of games to date with varying numbers of players, and I have to admit that each time the encounter was different, but always a blast. What I like about Cyclades: Legendary Edition is how the overall concept is executed. The playing fields are great, the game is essentially accessible, and the graphics are definitely decent. So I definitely won’t let her off the hook.

So the question of whether I would recommend Cyclades: Legendary Edition is practically useless. Of course it is. Considering I was excited about every game, I can’t help it. If you like strategies that hide power behind simplicity, then this is an obvious choice.

We would like to thank Czech distributor Tlama Games for providing us with a copy of Cyclades: Legendary Edition.