Design by Rudiger Dorn
Published by White Goblin Games
2 – 4 Players, 45 minutes – 1 hour
Review by Greg J. Schloesser
Montana in the mid-to-late 18th century was still a vast, mostly uninhabited place. Indeed, even though the gold rush and a desire for land and a new start brought an influx of settlers and entrepreneurs, the area is still one of the least populated regions in the United States. Perhaps the harsh weather and vast open spaces serves as a deterrent for many. A shame, since it is a beautiful area.
Montana by designer Rudiger Dorn is set in the period when settlers begin moving to Montana in increasing numbers. Players represent entrepreneurs attempting to establish a new life in this harsh, yet promising new environment. They must hire workers to help harvest grain and pumpkins, mine copper, gather stone from the quarries and establish towns and settlements. To be successful, players must not only balance all of these needs with limited finances, but must also stay one step ahead of their opponents, who are also attempting to claim the most lucrative land.
The modular board is created by piecing together landscape tiles, each of which depicts seven fields. These fields depict various types of terrain, as well as the resources that are needed to construct a settlement there. Some areas reward a player with cattle when a settlement is constructed, while being the first to construct next to a lake gives the player a canteen (representing access to water), which can be used to take another turn.