Santorini is a 2016 board game designed by Gordon Hamilton and published by Roxley Games
Santorini is an abstract strategy game where 2 to 4 players compete to build and ascend the gleaming heights of Santorini. Outmaneuver your opponents and be the first to reach the gods.
Is it fun?
I was extremely jazzed to review Santorini, as it blends traditional abstract gaming with variable player powers that have come to define a more modern experience. The move-build gameplay loop looks simple at first, but with layers that build as the game progresses. The “base game” is fine, but Santorini really took off for me once I started playing with the god powers. Sticking around in the tutorial mode for more than a few games is a mistake. Play with the gods. Santorini goes from “good” to “great” with variable player powers, and every game plays just a little differently. Huge positive.
Santorini is not really for me. It’s not bad; in fact I’d say it is reasonably well designed, and I had some fun playing it. However, without the God powers the gameplay only held my attention for a game or two, and adding in the powers only juiced it back to life for another couple of matches. Respect where it’s due, but I kind of bounced off this one.
Do the components/aesthetics improve the experience?
Just looking at those blue domes makes me feel like I’m in Greece. Okay, maybe not quite, but there is something about building actual towers that’s kind of exciting. It’s physical and visceral in a way that a lot of games aren’t. The cards have cute art of the Greek pantheon, and overall the vibe is there. And let’s not forget the mountain arena grid!
Here again the game is just mediocre. The pieces look fine, albeit a bit bland. Any detail in the buildings is subdued by them being all white (and yes, I do realize that the real-life town of Santorini is known for its gleaming white buildings, so it’s thematically appropriate–still boring visually as a board game). The art on the god-cards is fun, but is not visually a very major component of what is otherwise a very visual game.
Does playing the game create an immersive experience?
There feels a bit of a disconnect at times as you wonder why this is the current competition format for the Greek gods and goddesses, but if you can get past that and move into how you’re going to beat your opponent, it evens itself out. The flavor is there in the mechanics themselves: you can imagine yourself as Hermes zipping about the field wondering where the next block is going to be placed.
I do find the theme here to be a bit arbitrary and tacked-on. If you want to make an abstract game, just go for it; I won’t hold that against you. Don’t just slap on any old theme and go “Ta-dah! It’s a game about building monuments to the Gods…and climbing on top of them…competitively.” That said, the give-and-take dance with your opponent is engrossing, and you will likely come away feeling like you’ve engaged in a contest with them and not just idled away some time.
How often does a player make meaningful choices?
It’s a three-dimensional abstract game, and to that end, every move needs to get you closer to winning or block your opponent from winning. And the god powers change the play of the game so dramatically, that every game will have a different ebb and flow to it, which suggests you’ll be making different choices this time than you made last time, perhaps. A watchful opponent will seize on a careless opportunity.
I can at last say something actually nice about this game! The strategy in this game is very good; with an excellent, chess-like back-and-forth, trying to think further ahead than your opponent so you can outmaneuver them.
Does the level of player interaction encourage continual engagement?
Absolutely. It’s got a fast pace and the information on your opponent’s turn is important. Turn-based games can be a snooze-fest when it’s someone else’s time to go, but this isn’t that. If you’re not paying attention to where your opponent is playing and how they’re moving pieces, you’re going to lose. Simple as that.
Absolutely; you can’t really afford to look away from this game if you want to win. When it’s not your turn you need to be scrutinizing the board, trying to plan several moves ahead to trap your opponent.
Is the game balanced such that it feels like a fair experience?
The base game is the most “balanced” of the play styles. Some of the gods can feel a little more overpowered than others, but in the right hands every one of them is interesting, and they go a long way towards keeping the feeling fresh. I’ve played much worse
Without the god cards–perfectly; with the god cards–adequately. I have not played with all the god cards to realistically judge if they are all balanced, but the ones I saw all seemed comparably useful, and did add some interest to an otherwise bland game.
How often would you want to play this game?
I will never turn down a game of Santorini. This is ostensibly a 2-4 player game but honestly it’s best at two, maybe three. To that end, it falls into “date night” and “quality time” territory for me, and at that point it’s competing with others, but it fills a nice niche.
As I said at the start of this review, this game is not for me. I like that it exists, and I certainly know people who will enjoy it thoroughly, but I would likely pass on this if it were suggested.
Is the game accessible?
There’s no text outside the rule book, so once you know how to play, you’re good to go. The trick — beyond the tutorial mode — would be trying to remember what all of the god powers can do without the reminder text in the rulebook. They’re not overly complicated, there’s just a lot of them to keep track of. That said, the base mechanics are incredibly accessible.
I’m pretty confident that I could teach this to pretty young children, and they would find it a lot of fun. In fact, I think its accessibility may be one of its strongest areas, perhaps as an introductory alternative to lead someone up to chess.
Is the game good value?
Extremely good value here if you like other abstract style games like Blockus or Azul or Patchwork. if these kinds of games aren’t your style, then this one might better be a pass.
Even though I would not personally want to play it often, if you think you’d like this sort of game, for about $30, 2-4 players, I’d say you’d get a lot of value out of it.
Je ne sais quoi?
For me, yes. The gameplay core may not be something I would go for as a first-pick every time but it finds itself in rotation with a handful of other games that also offer a lighter, engaging experiences.
This game is overall just a bit lackluster for me. It has some novelty and a little charm, but not much. I would honestly rather play chess, and I’m not actually all that much of a fan of chess. That’s a review for another time, though.
Final Thoughts
Santorini shines at two players, even though the box swears it supports up to four. It’s quick and easy enough to teach your youngest gamers. Santorini borrows some of the charm and grandeur of Greece to lure players into an abstract gaming experience when they might not otherwise be interested. It can be exciting with the variants in the box if you find that the base game is fun but lacking a little replayability for your tastes.
Final Scores