$18.25$48.50

Facade games’ wonderful Dark Cities Series has arrived!!!

I’ve got a few copies of each of the first three volumes in the shop… Salem 1692, Tortuga 1667, and Deadwood 1876!  And now I’ve aded Deluxe copies of Bristol 1350 – the latest masterpiece in the series!

As I have a bit more time now (as compared to when I was writing the original Facade Games write up – which is below), I’ll proceed with a standard Upstart write up for the deluxe edition of Bristol 1350. 😁 Following that write-up is the exceptionally abbreviated write up for the rest of the series.. hehe.

Bristol 1350 Deluxe is here! Buglers, sound off!! 📯

This is the Deluxe, Kickstarter Edition of Bristol 1350, and includes the 9 KS exclusive characters, the 6 metal coins, the 6 cards for Alms mini-expansion, the 3 metal carts, the 3 mini art prints, and all the stretch goals from the campaign. Whew! This is a master-set for SURE! 🥰

And, this just in – each copy of Bristol 1350 Deluxe now comes with the new MeePawns!!  These wonderful little resin pawns represent each of the game characters and just a little bit more magic to the already sweet deluxe experience!

Another incredible experience from stem to stern…

The latest in the Façade Games, wonderfully imaginative game-in-a-hidden-book series! OK… I don’t think that’s the official title of the series… but you get the idea. These games are not only incredibly fun… they look amazing on your game shelf – or your bookshelf for that matter! 😉

[The actual title of the series is “The Dark Cities.” Didn’t want you to think I didn’t know! 🥲]

There’s just something really memorable about opening a magnetic-clasped faux book and taking out all the cool game bits and mats and such… and then playing a thoughtful, well-designed game. It’s just so cool to me that the experience of the game literally starts with removing it from the game shelf. And while it is usually a lot of fun to unbox a game for the first time… This is the only series where I enjoy “un-boxing” the game each and every time!! 📚💕

As you can already clearly tell (hehe… no, I will not be brief, darn it) I have thoroughly enjoyed every one of the books…er, games… in this series… and Bristol 1350 is no exception.

Tiny metal carts AND metal coins?!?! Shut the screen door! 🚪

The deluxe version of the game (the one I am selling here) comes with some absolutely incredible components. The tiny metal carts are GORGEOUS, and the metal coins are well-crafted and add to the tactile enjoyment of the game. If you’ve visited the site a bit and have browsed the write-ups… then you KNOW I am a component junkie. And, you know how I feel that deluxe components add to the immersive quality of the gaming experience… and well… I just love that!  Wahhhhhhh….

Adding to the immersive experience… Façade games released an official soundtrack with music by Falsobordone. You can have this beauty playing in the background as you race down the street in your apple cart! You can find the soundtrack HERE.

I have a feeling that even the most die-hard, “upgraded components are a waste of money and I want every board game to be cheap cardboard and dull colors because it’s only the mechanics that matter” boardgamers would be hard-pressed to deny the allure of the beautiful metal components included here.

[OK, Mike… Maybe they could deny it <sigh>… but darn it, I love nice components… so there! 😏]

Game Play…

Here is an EXCELLENT gameplay overview video produced by Façade Games… Heck, even the video oozes with theme! 😍🤓😁

You can this awesome video HERE.

As I cannot possibly do better justice to the rules overview than that video… I’ll leave it there. Yes, I know… we are all surprised that I am not continuing to ramble… haha. I love you all! 🥺

OK… now onto the VERY brief write-up for the other amazing games int his series! Please note that ONLY Bristol 1350 is a deluxe versions. The other games are the same standard games that were released on their respective Kickstarter campaigns. That is, there were no deluxe versions of the others 😇

Pick up one or two… or snag the entire set – you won’t be disappointed!

OK everyone… I really, really wanted to get these bad boys uploaded into the shop… and well, I am running out of daylight on this here Sunday evening ??

And so, I will have to temporarily forego my normal write-up for each of these three WONDERFUL games in order to get them onto the site forthwith!

If you scroll down you can read the publisher’s description for each game (in the standard place for that sort of thing in an Upstart product listing); that should at least tide you over until I can get a free moment to wax poetic about how much I LOVE these games! ?

I mean… come… on… <said using my best Jimmy Valmer from South Park impression>

They packed the games into replica antique book boxes!!

I was clicking “BACK!” on Kickstarter 1.3 milliseconds after seeing that first image. Haha. You know how I am… and so you know I am being honest here!! ??

These games play in about 30 – 60 minutes, and each incorporates a variety of sweet mechanics that will have you taking that ol’ book off the shelf again and again!

OK… before I start getting into the details… I need to eat dinner and go to sleep. Mondays on my ship are always a tad hectic… and well, I need my rest ?

More soonest, everyone!

If you cannot wait for the write up and you have ANY questions, please do not hesitate to shoot me a line or two over email, reach out on Facebook, or get in touch through whatever comms method works best for you! Heck, call me and we can chat about the game live if that’s easier! ?

I’m here to help… as always… ?

 

Ages: 13+
Players:
2 – 9 — Tortuga 1667
2 – 9 — Deadwood 1876
4-12 — Salem 1692
1 – 9 — Bristol 1350
Play Time: 25 – 40 minutes
Designer: Travis Hancock
Artists:
Publisher: Facade Games
SKU: Facade Games 001
MSRP:
Salem, Tortuga, and Deadwood – $24.99
and up  – on various sites.
Bristol 1350 selling for $99 on eBay
at the time of this listing – May 2021.
Our Price: $18.25 – Salem, Tortuga, Deadwood

$48.50 for Bristol 1350 Deluxe
Links to BGG:

 

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Salem 1692, Tortuga 1667, Deadwood 1876, Bristol 1350 – own them all… at the best prices around!

Salem 1692 – Volume 1 in the Dark Cities Series by Facade Games

The year is 1692, and it is a perilous time to live in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. One wrong step, or one misplaced accusation, and you could be the next witch to hang. “Salem” takes players into this perilous world and lets them re-live the tension, politics, and religious extremism that still has people talking about it 300 years later.

The game is packaged in a faux book box that closes magnetically

The game, disguised as a worn-out leather book, can easily hide on your bookshelf and masquerade as an antique.

Players play as prominent villagers from the old Salem town, and even read their bios in the instruction manual. The servant girl Mary Warren, pastor Samuel Parris, farmer John Proctor, storyteller Tituba, and beggar Sarah Good are some of the 12 characters featured in the game.

Players, each acting as one of these unique characters, are given 3-5 Tryal cards (depending on the number of players). These Tryal cards reveal the true identity of each player, “Witch” or “Not a Witch.”

During gameplay, players gather cards that they use to accuse, or defend, other players. Deciding who to trust is key to survival, since you can never play a card on yourself. When you suspect someone to be a witch, you can begin accusing them with red accusation cards. When enough accusations have been placed on one of the players, the player who lays the final accusation chooses one of that player’s Tryal cards to reveal.

Once all “Witch” Tryal cards have been found, the villagers of Salem win

Players can also use green and blue cards such as “Alibi”, “Stocks”, “Matchmaker”, “Asylum”, and “Scapegoat” to help or hurt their allies or enemies.

As players draw cards, they will eventually draw black cards that take immediate effect. One black card, “Night”, forces all players to close their eyes while the Witches choose someone to eliminate and the Constable chooses someone to potentially save. The other black card, “Conspiracy,” forces all players to take a face-down Tryal card from the player to their left. Killing witches quickly is essential, otherwise “Conspiracy” may soon have the whole town turned evil.

Before long, accusations will be flying, and screams of “She’s a WITCH!” will wake the neighbours. Will you be the hero who purges your town of witches, or will you be wrongly accused and hung for witchcraft? Or perhaps you will be a witch yourself, escape conviction, and bring Salem to the ground.

Tortuga 1667 – Volume 2 in the Dark Cities Series by Facade Games

The year is 1667 and you are a pirate sailing the waters of the Caribbean. A Spanish Galleon floats nearby, and you’ve talked your crewmates into working together to steal all of its treasure. What you haven’t told your fellow pirates is that you have no intentions on sharing the treasure once you have it. Your crewmates have told you that they share your loyalty and that they’ll help you maroon the greedy pirates on your ship to the rocky island of Tortuga. But you’ve seen your friends’ loaded pistols and heard their whisperings of a mutiny. You know that nobody can be trusted.

Tortuga is all about the interactions you have with the other players

In some cases, such as when you and your shipmates are attacking the Spanish Galleon, you need to rely on your enemies in order to succeed. In the very next turn, however, your shipmates might stab you in the back with a mutiny in order to keep all the treasure for themselves.

Since nobody holds a “hand” of cards, this game is also about knowledge and communication regarding the community Event cards

Unless you are in desperation mode, it is not wise to reveal Event cards at random. Almost half of the Event cards can hurt your team drastically. It’s often in your best interest to use an action to view the cards first, or to rely on the knowledge of a trusted ally. Knowing where harmful Event cards are located allows you to force an enemy to reveal those cards and suffer the consequences. The most successful players are the ones who are able to discern who is on their team and then share vital information with them at opportune moments.

Vote cards also play a key role in the game

Each Vote card has three sections – one each for Attacks, Mutinies, and Brawls. Players must put themselves in the best position to use their Vote cards, since their hand of Vote cards may not always be ideal based on their pawn location. For example, sometimes it may be worth putting in Water, causing an attack to fail, in order to save a Crossbones card for when you want to Mutiny against your captain.

For 2-9 Players. 20-40 minutes. Ages 12+.

Deadwood 1876 – Volume 3 in the Dark Cities series from Facade Games

There’s gold in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and you’ve come to find (or steal) your share. You’re staying at one of the three major establishments in Deadwood where you and your associates are working together to steal some of the gold-filled safes floating around town. But you suspect that the “friends” you’re working with are secretly plotting to keep all the gold for themselves. Will you be ready to turn on them before they shoot you in the back?

In Deadwood 1876, you use cards from your hand to try to win Safes from other players

Safes contain Badges, Gold, or Showdown Guns. Near the end of the game, players with Badges get extra turns. After the final turn, the team with the most Gold will advance to the Final Showdown. There, teammates will have to fight each other to the death using Showdown Guns. The last person alive is the winner!

The game is a balance between teamwork and selfishness

If a player uses all of their best cards to hunt down Gold for their team, they’ll be defenseless to fight against their teammates if they go to the Final Showdown. But if a player only goes after Guns and saves all of their best cards, their team might not have enough Gold to actually reach the Final Showdown. If someone on your team doesn’t seem to be pulling their weight, they might be plotting to steal your gold after using you to get to the Finals! There may come a point where you need to gather Showdown Guns instead of Gold, or attack, mislead, frame, abandon, or banish your own teammates.

For 2-9 players. Learn in 20 minutes, play in 20-40 minutes.

Bristol 1350 – Volume 4 in the Dark Cities series from Facade Games – including the newly minted MeePawns (which sell for $9.95 separately)

The dreaded Black Death has descended upon the town of Bristol. You are racing down the streets in one of the three available apple carts, desperate to escape into the safety of the countryside. If your cart is the first to leave the town and it is full of only healthy villagers when you leave, you and your fellow cart-mates successfully escape and win the game!

However, some villagers on your cart may already have the plague! They are hiding their early symptoms from you so that they can enjoy their last few days in peace. If you leave town with a plagued villager on your cart, you will catch the plague. You must do whatever is necessary to make sure that doesn’t happen!

On the surface Bristol 1350 is part co-operative teamwork, part racing strategy, and part social deduction. In reality, it’s a selfish scramble to get yourself out of town as quickly as possible without the plague, by any means necessary.

The game comes in a magnetic book box and includes a rubber playmat, 9 wood pawns, 3 miniature carts, 6 rat/apple dice, a linen bag, and 64 cards. The deluxe version adds 6 coins, 6 cards, and 3 metal carts. This standalone game is Volume 4 in the “Dark Cities Series” by Facade Games following Salem 1692Tortuga 1667, and Deadwood 1876.

Additional information
Weight 1.4 lbs
Dimensions 5.125 × 8.375 × 1.5 in
Facade Games

Salem 1692, Tortuga 1667, Deadwood 1876, Bristol 1350 Deluxe

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