Design by Permar Rodaser
Published by dvGiochi
2 – 4 Players, 45 minutes
Review by Greg J. Schloesser

I have enjoyed several games from Italian publisher dvGiochi, most recently their clever release 3 Secrets. So, I was intrigued by one of their most recent offerings, Catalyst, from designer Permar Rodaser.
Catalyst is set in a futuristic world where special individuals—a type of superhero known as a Catalyst”—uses a new type of energy to achieve remarkable results. These Catalysts can cooperate and act together in order to build more powerful and acclaimed cities, all for the good of humanity…and their own power, of course!
The idea of the game is to recruit characters into your ensemble, then combine these with buildings so that you can perform multiple actions per turn. Assembling a collection of characters and buildings that allows you to perform numerous actions per turn is the key to surpassing your opponents and claiming victory. There really is one viable path here.
Catalyst cards are at the heart of the game. In addition to some very appealing artwork, each card depicts its cost, as well as one or more icons that indicate the power that it grants the player when activated. From the deck of 60 cards, ten are set aside for the final round, while five of the main deck are revealed on the central board. This linear board serves as a “drafting” row, and can increase or decrease the cost of acquiring a card, depending upon its position on it.
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