TownSpire
You arrive at the foot of a spire.
A single, towering monument pierces the skies of a town long turned to ruin. Everything else is gone. The farms, the homes, the sturdy walls that once protected generations are reduced to memory and dust. But the King has made up his mind. He wants it rebuilt. Not just any way, but exactly as his ancestors once envisioned it.
You are named the chief architect. Armed with incomplete records and clashing expert opinions, you set out to restore a town you have never seen. Every decision matters. Every path you take shapes more than stone and timber. It shapes the fate of villagers, animals, and the soul of the kingdom itself.
This is TownSpire. Set in Medieval times. Are you ready?
I’m not new to Radek Ignatów’s creations. Having played Chronicles of Civilization, one of the most in-depth PnP I’ve tried to date, I was looking at yet another civilization-development game of his. But something told me it’ll be different…
First Impressions
Something about the Medieval Ages always enticed me when I first learned about it in school. It was quite a chaotic era, but a lot happened during this transitional phase. If I had a time machine, it’d definitely be worth a visit. Just for a day, though. Wouldn’t want to catch the bubonic plague!
So, a game set in the Middle Ages naturally got me excited. I queued up my Medieval era playlist on YouTube before diving into the game files.
Beyond the theme, what truly caught my eye was how the game integrates a phone. The game includes a printable map and 16 Action Cards. You can either print the Action Cards or have them displayed on your phone through an app. The map includes a QR code linking to the app. The app’s GitHub interface was smooth and easy to use, with no installation required. A big green flag! Just scan and play.
A bit on Townspire
The objective of TownSpire is to rebuild a long-destroyed Medieval town according to the teachings of the King’s ancestors. As the chief architect, you must carefully build cottages, mills, watchtowers, farms, taverns, etc. Alongside construction, you need to strategically manage threats like bandits, wolves, insect swarms, and swamps to protect the town’s inhabitants and livestock. Your goal is to create a thriving, well-defended settlement centered around the restored TownSpire.
Preparing the game
I printed the map, grabbed a pen, and my phone. And that’s it! I chose not to print the Action Cards as I was really interested in trying the app. Which made the game super-easy to assemble.
You can also choose to laminate the map for replayability. I’m not a fan of drawing on laminated sheets, so I opted for cardstock.
If you opted to print the Action Cards, make sure you have a D6 dice at your disposal. You need it to fix your objectives for the game, something that the App does for you otherwise.
Findings
So here I am, after playing TownSpire for a good week!
Conditional placements are a delight!
You can’t just build structures and farms anywhere. On each turn, the Action Cards give the constraint of when and where to build the structures and farms. Each farm has its designated locations where you can place them; e.g., you can only place chicken farms next to a forest, while you can only place a tomato farm next to a building.
Alongside structures and farms, even the threats need to be placed following the rule denoted by each of the Action Cards. As a result, the game becomes this fine balancing act where you are not only trying to stick to conditional placements, but also trying to make the most out of it. And how well you place each element invariably affects how well you score in this game.
A compact experience
Everything about the game is compact, and I loved it. How?
+ Requiring only 3 elements to play the game (a map, a phone, and a pen)
+ Choosing exactly one of the two options presented on the Action Cards each round
+ Having precisely 10 rounds in the game. You can’t stretch this game, even if you wanted to!
+ Having specific zones for each structure, farm, and threat.
This is exactly where TownSpire differed from Chronicles of Civilization.
While Chronicles of Civilization offered a vast, near-cinematic experience with sessions lasting close to an hour, TownSpire delivered a concentrated burst of that experience in under 20 minutes. And it’s super portable! I can see myself carrying it to cafes for a nice trip over the Medieval era.
Beware of the Threats!
TownSpire introduces a compelling element of threats that you need to tackle in every round. You’ll face threats in the form of bandits, wolves, insects, and even swamps; each bringing its own set of challenges upon the people of the town.
The best part is, not only do you need to place them strategically, but you also get the opportunity to neutralize them. For example, you can neutralize insects by placing a chicken farm right next to them. Failing to neutralize the threats will haunt you in the form of penalty points. So make sure to not only build your town wisely, but also protect it at the right time and in the right way.
These threats certainly added more weight to the Medieval theme of the game. After all, it was a chaotic age, and the presence of these dangers captures that spirit just right.
A fun drawing project
When I mentioned placing structures, I meant drawing them with a pen! And it’s been a fun experience. Each structure, farm, and threat has its own symbol, which might take a couple of rounds to get used to, but once you’re familiar, it turns into a fun little art project. No matter how well or poorly you build your town, the end result always looks visually captivating.
I’m thinking of framing one of the maps I used to play the game. Just waiting to land a good score first. Then I’ll have something to boast about!
Solo or Multi?
I played the game in solo mode. You can give it a shot in multiplayer, keeping in mind that there are no interactions between players. The one with the highest score wins the game.
I think it’s best suited for solo mode. Play it like I did with my Medieval playlist on, a warm cup of tea by my side, and building a town worthy of remembrance!
Here’s a long track that can set the mood for you.
Which way to the campaign, Sire?
My noble friend, if you yearn to be an architect and help your king build a Medieval town of the ages, make sure to back TownSpire on Kickstarter. Campaign launches on August 5th!
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Game Overview
Publisher: Radek Ignatów
Designer: Radek Ignatów
Artist: MichaÅ‚ TeligaÂ
Number of players: 1 to 99
Difficulty level: Easy to Medium
Rounds of gameplay needed to learn: 1 round
Game duration: 20 minutes
Available on: Kickstarter
Theme: Flip-and-Write | Building a Medieval town
Number of pages and color: 1 (color)
Assembling difficulty level: Super easy. No Assembly required
Lamination: Recommended for replayability
Additional elements required: A pen and a phone
Time to learn: Within 20 minutes
Travel-friendly: 10/10
Shelving friendly: 10/10
Rating from PnP Time: 9/10
Tasliman is a board game developer based in Bangladesh, with the dream of exploring the world of games and introducing it to anyone new to it. He is the founder of Kraftz, a brand that develops board games commercially, as well as with reputed entities like BRAC and The Gates Foundation.
