Food Chain Magnate

This game has been on my radar since it came out in 2015. Fortunately, it did not disappoint when I finally got a copy.

The fame pushes strong interactions between players and the recruitment/restructuring system is quite interesting.
Unfortunately there seems to be 2 only 2 strong opening strategies if yku don't want to be left in a dust of clouds by other players. Still the board state can wildly fluctuate and everyone must constantly adapt to everyone's decisions which I love. Be warned that this is not a passive euro however amd some players may find the game to be a little mean or cutthroat.

The only major complaints is that the box just comes with a few plastic bags for the continents and setting up on a table is extremely messy/time consuming. It really pains me to say that demotivates me from wanting to play often as insects or placeholders should have come with the box. Especially at the price it costs.

This game is great! You get to run a fast-food chain from a small joint to a somewhat dominant position… after all, a well-placed marketing campaign by another competitor could hinder your sales but hey… this is business! The game really lets you steer the boat in the direction you like: will you go more pizza or burger?, will you hire more trainers to get more high-level staff?, etc. These are all questions you’ll have to answer while keeping an eye on the competition and making sure you get the sale!

On the minus side, the game can feel a bit slow in the beginning as you have to build up your engine and making sure that you do stuff every turn. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself producing goods that nobody wants or not having enough to satisfy all the consumers. There are also a LOT of cards (the employees you can recruit and the milestones). They take a lot of space on the table. There are solutions for this: purchasable inserts, DIY-insert that you can find on BGG, etc. to store the cards in a more space-friendly way. But at this retail price, I am quite disappointed that the company didn’t include one from the start.

One of my top games ever. So many ways to build your engine, all while throwing wrenches into your friends’. The game can, and will, get mean. To that I say, don’t be a baby. The art style is a point of contention for some. I love it for its simplicity, as the game board is always clear and concise because of it. Fantastic game, that gets the brain burning.

Sure, the map doesn't look great, but the rest of the game does. And the most important thing, the gameplay, is top-notch! I love how open it is, how everyone starts off the exact same, but after a few rounds, people are really doing their own thing. My groups never delve deep into the strategy side of things - I know you certainly can - but we just want to have fun and run our restaurants. I would play this every day if I could. It took my #1 spot in my list of favourite games really quickly, and it will stay there for the foreseeable future.

I love figuring out what I did wrong when I lose.