Imperial Settlers

Imperial Settlers is a fantastic card game that lets you lead one of four unique factions in a race to build the most impressive empire. I was initially drawn to the game because of its connection to 51st State, another game I really enjoy. While Imperial Settlers shares the same core mechanics of tableau building, it's a much faster and streamlined experience.

Each faction has its own distinct playstyle, which really adds depth and replayability. I found the Romans to be a strong contender with their focus on building and scoring points from grey buildings. The Barbarians, on the other hand, are all about razing and conquering. I haven't had much luck with the Japanese yet, but that might just be me! The game is well balanced overall, with each faction having its own unique strengths and weaknesses.

The game's artwork is charming and reminds me of those classic French-Belgian comics like Asterix and Tintin. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I find it adds a nice touch of whimsy. The components are solid, although I do agree that the tiny wooden resource tokens could benefit from being organized in small containers. This is a minor inconvenience though, and doesn't detract from the overall experience.

Overall, I highly recommend Imperial Settlers to anyone who enjoys engine-building games. It's engaging, strategic, and provides a lot of replayability. The only downside, as mentioned in some reviews, is that the game can be quite long, especially with more than two players. But even with the longer playtimes, it's still a lot of fun.