Come on Pilgrim

Outside of a game of Keyforge on Christmas Day and a couple of passes at Just One, it's been a fairly game-free Christmas week at our house. That changed today when Stan and I played Coimbra (Coy-eem-bra) a dice-drafting game about something or other in Portugal. It's not totally clear what you're doing in the game - the box suggests you're supplying bouncers to monasteries around the countryside, but obviously someone needs to get them there: and that's the job of your Pilgrim, driving a 2CV through the windy mountain roads with a crucifix dangling from the rear-view mirror.

While they're off doing that, you're currying favour in Coimbra itself by supplying protection (or bribes) to the city's wealthy populace, and - here the enigmatic theme completely vanishes - you do this by drafting dice.

Each round dice are rolled and players take turns to draft one, and place in it the upper, middle, or lower part of the city, in order to buy cards there. Higher dice choose first, but the catch is the dice also defines the price you pay for whichever card you choose: either in guards, or cash.

Or you could go to the castle, where lower dice are better and guards (or money) are to be found, lounging around by (or in) the collection box.

Cards are then purchased and each card improves your standing on one of four tracks - cash, guards, pilgrim 2CV movement, and points. Then the card gives some kind of bonus, either one-off, ongoing, or end-game.

And then you ignore the pips on the dice and simply look at the colours instead: each colour die you have (and you'll have three) triggers the rewards on the aforementioned tracks: they higher up you are, the better the reward. Gain cash or guards or points; move your pilgrim. Move your pilgrim to a monastery: get more stuff! It almost seems designed to drive Martin into a frothing rage.

And then  - we're not finished yet - you can (if you can still follow what the hell is going on) invest in a voyage, which costs guards (or cash) but will get you points at the end of the game. Track placement will also get you points at the end of the game. So will sets of rosettes, that crop up on cards. So will some cards. Possibly some monasteries. And all this takes place within the roiling rainbow of a dozen colours - players (up to four) cards/dice (five, including the wild die) and monasteries (three).

The eventual winner (102-84) sizes things up

And yet... I found myself wanting to return to it.  The generic juggling of multiple parts has a more rewarding feeling than the generic can't do all you want to, although the latter sensation is hiding here as well. There are strategic and tactical choices with every turn... Focus your efforts on the tracks? Or get your pilgrim moving around the map for those generous monks' rewards? Keep cash and/or guard income high for a valuable revenue stream (= more choices on card purchase!) or sail close to the wind with thrifty expenditure? Visit the castle for round-by-round advantages, or eschew it entirely?

The initial bewilderment evaporates faster than I anticipated it would - Coimbra is certainly guilty of the standard Euro crimes of lots of moving parts, but Stan and I really liked it anyway. It looks really lovely, and although each turn has a substantial potential for AP - especially on a first play - you only take 12 actions in the entire game, so must choose wisely.