Link City Board Game – Family or Adult Cooperative Party City Building Game for 2 to 6 Players by Blue Orange Games. Recommended for Ages 8 & Up.

Enjoyable cooperative group game, rules are easy, fairly quick to play, fun theme
This is a neat little cooperative game and I really like the idea of it – one player decides where to thematically add a set of new buildings (tiles) to a shared city and other players then try to guess the correct locations. Does it make more sense to put the Tattoo Parlor next to the Park and Ice Cream Shop or over by the Prison and Dive Bar? Some of the discussions are fun and we’ve generally had a good time with this. The components are nice but simple and the work well for the game. The font and art styles for the various buildings is a fun thematic element.The rules are pretty simple and we had no issues getting started. The rules book gives some good examples, but does omit a few specific points I would like to see clarified, such as when a player decides which side of a tile to use – do they just use the first they see or can then pick? Can they pick after they see the proposed locations, or do they have to decide before? Granted, these are things that can easily be house-ruled to play however you want, but I like having these things clarified. Gameplay is smooth and the game lasts 6 rounds, so it usually takes about 20-30 minutes total. Works well with a group of about 3-5 – not as interesting at 2 since there’s less discussion, but it does work.Our only real complaint was that since one player chooses the location and then another has to decide where the randomly drawn buildings go in those locations, sometimes there either no great rationale for any of the locations, or equally good rational for multiple locations. We would often guess the locations to have the “mayor” reveal and have two of the tiles be opposite, followed by “Yeah, I agree that they would work great there as well for the same reason.” I wanted it to feel like I was setting up a clever puzzle for the others to unravel, but it often just felt like a 50-50 guess. For something with a completely different theme but kind of pulls off the same feel I was hoping for, So Clover is one we’ve had a ton of fun with.On the whole, this is still an enjoyable game and I will happily play it more. I have others I personally prefer as small co-op group games, but this has worked well with a few groups and I like the ease of entry for a quick and casual game with new players. In the future, I’d like to try a variant where the mayor picks both the locations and tiles, which I think would make the game easier in some regards, but also more strategic and interesting.

A simple, fun, cooperative game of “Guess how I would plan a city”
Do you like “guess what I’m thinking” games such as Just One or Codenames? Then Link City may be one to consider, where players try to make sense of different types of real estate and buildings and how each player may think they combine to make the most logical city layout.Link City is from Blue Orange Games, which makes many respected lighter games for kids and families. This one plays up to six people (though more could join in as advisers), ages 8+.TL;DR—My family plays LOTS of games, and we loved this one as an excellent filler game or icebreaker.GAMEPLAYOne player designated the “Mayor” picks double-sided tiles with a type of building (e.g., Skyscraper, Tatoo Parlor, Public Restrooms, Celebrity Residence, Hot Dog Stand) and decides where they should be laid on an ever-expanding city grid. Using blue, orange, and yellow (plus white, when earned) plastic cones to designate where the three tiles make the most sense on the grid, the Mayor assigns the cones and also places matching-color cone tiles face down by the respective building tiles. The other players then use their cone tiles to match what the Mayor decided was the best location for those buildings.The Mayor reveals the hidden cone tiles. Any matches with the players get laid where the matching plastic cone is. This completes little tree icons on the edges of the tile, scoring points at the end of the game. Mismatches get placed anywhere else the Mayor decides but offset on a diagonal so that no trees are completed. The offset tiles will need to have a later tile placed next to them to score.If the players match all three tiles correctly, a fourth cone is added (white), and for the rest of the game, the Mayor and players now play with four new tiles to select rather than three. Doing this early is a big help to scoring. You also place a “dead-end” tile that can help seal off a possible difficult-to-match layout.The Mayor role is given to the next player, and this happens for a total of six rounds. All the completed tree icons are scored, and players compare the score against a table to see how well they did, and they see if they can improve their score in the next session.COMPONENTSThe game comes with four plastic cones, 72 tiles with a plasticized surface coating, and a shield to let the Mayor work in secret. Blue Orange is known for making high quality games, and every component in this one is fine. I like that the cardboard tiles have a plasticized surface to resist damage. The tiles read easily. Tough to find anything lacking here.PROS+ Simple rules can be explained in under three minutes+ Plays up to six, so a good family game+ Blue Orange Games is a dependable publisher of quality games+ Everyone gets a chance to be Mayor at least once+ Plays fast, under 30 minutes (and that’s accurate)+ Good value for the money+ Encourages table talk, and it’s fun to hear how others reason what the Mayor is thinking and where they think the buildings might best be placed+ With 127 different buildings and locations possible, variability and replay value in the game are high+ If other players are content not getting a chance to be Mayor, this game could be played with more than six, with additional players as advisers, making it a possible party gameMEH* Cooperative game play is so light, with a scoring method that’s really only “try to do better next play,” it’s almost an activity more than a game* While kids can definitely play this, the youngest ones may not know what some of the buildings are (“What’s a Synagogue?”) or grasp the nuances of placing or not placing the Cemetery next to the Senior Citizens Home, but the table talk may help them express their thoughtsCONS- None, honestlySUMMARYGuessing games can be fun with the right crowd, and this is one of the better ones we’ve played. It’s quick and never overstays its welcome. Plus, if you want to try to improve your score, the fast play makes “Let’s play again!” possible.We think this is an outstanding filler game, especially as an icebreaker, as it reveals how other people think. Certainly, people who know each other may get a better score, but this is a way to introduce nongamers and people new to a gaming group both to gaming and to others. The consensus in board gaming circles is that even veteran and hardcore gamers like Link City. Definitely a winner, five stars.