Marrakech (game) explained

Subject Name:Marrakech
Designer:Dominique Ehrhard
Publisher: Zoch Verlag
Gigamic
Kaissa Chess & Games
Players:2 to 4 (4 recommended)
Ages:6 years up
Date:2007

Marrakech is a board game designed by Dominique Ehrhard in which players are competing carpet traders in the city of Marrakech. It was first published in 2007. Its German edition has been renamed Suleika.

Gameplay

Two to four players can play the game, but four is recommended. The game is played on a grid having of 7 squares per side. Players place "carpets" of the size of two squares, possibly overlapping each other. Each player has a color and plays only carpets of that color from their stack. The players also move a single "trader" piece on the grid using a special six-sided die. When someone moves the trader to an opponent's carpet, they have to pay an amount of game money equal to the size of connected carpet squares of the same colour to the owner of the carpet. The players aim to earn money this way and to have less of their carpets covered by other pieces of carpet.

Reception

The game won the 2008 French As d'Or award[1] and the Austrian award.[2] It also was one of the recipient of the 2009 Mensa Select awards,[3] and it was also nominated for the 2008 German Spiel des Jahres award[4] and the 2009 U-more Award.[5]

The reviews were generally mediocre: the reviewers praised the game material, the harmonious design and the simple rules of the game, which would make the game[6] easily accessible to children in particular. On the other hand, however, the game offers too little game depth and tactical options to be able to entertain experienced players in the long term.[7] [8] [9]

In popular culture

Marrakech is the first game played by the heroines of the After School Dice Club manga series (also an anime).[10]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Senioractu.com 2007. Jean-Philippe Tarot /. Marrakech : un jeu original élu As d’Or 2008 lors du Festival international des Jeux à Cannes. 2021-02-08. Senior Actu : toute l'actualité des seniors. fr.
  2. Web site: Spiel der Spiele Game of the Year Award Category BoardGameGeek. 2021-02-08. boardgamegeek.com. en-US.
  3. Web site: Mensa Select® Games. 2021-02-08. www.mensamindgames.com. en.
  4. Web site: Gariepy. Ashley. The Definitive Guide to the Spiel des Jahres Board Game Awards Meeple Mountain. 2021-02-08. www.meeplemountain.com. en-US.
  5. Web site: Japan Boardgame Prize 2009. 2021-02-08. www.u-more.com.
  6. Web site: Lehmann. Jörg. Suleika - brettspiele-report. 2021-02-08. de.
  7. Web site: H@LL9000 - Rezension/Kritik Spiel: Suleika (4021). 2021-02-08. www.hall9000.de.
  8. Web site: Suleika - Basar der fliegenden Teppiche - Brettspiel - Rezension. 2021-02-08. www.reich-der-spiele.de.
  9. Web site: Ledinger. Christoph. Suleika. 2021-02-08. www.spieletest.at. de.
  10. Web site: The Fall 2019 Anime Preview Guide - After School Dice Club. 2021-02-08. Anime News Network. en.