Scythe by Jamey Stegmaier - A Strategy Board Game in Dieselpunk 1920s Europe from Stonemaier Games

Scythe is an engine-building game set in an alternate-history 1920s period. It is a time of farming and war, broken hearts and rusted gears, innovation and valor. In Scythe, five factions of Eastern Europe are attempting to earn their fortune and claim their faction's stake in the land. Scythe uses a streamlined action-selection mechanism to reduce downtime between turns. While there is plenty of direct conflict for players who seek it, there is no player elimination. Players can move, gather resources, increase their power, and as the game progresses, players can also upgrade actions to become more efficient, build structures that improve their position on the map, enlist new recruits, activate mechs to deter opponents from invading, and expand their borders to reap greater types of resources. These engine-building aspects create a sense of momentum and progress throughout the game. Ages 14+, 115 min play time, 1-5 Players Designed by Jamey Stegmaier Illustrated by Jakub Rozalski

• EXPLORE: It is a time of unrest in 1920s Europa. The ashes from the first great war still darken the snow. The capitalistic city-state known simply as “The Factory”, which fueled the war with heavily armored mechs, has closed its doors, drawing the attention of several nearby countries.
• ALTERNATE HISTORY: Scythe is an engine-building game set in an alternate-history 1920s period in Eastern Europe. It is a time of farming and war, broken hearts and rusted gears, innovation and valor.
• VARIABILITY: With five different factions and five different player boards, players can mix and match to enhance replayability. Asymmetric powers keep the game fresh every time!
• QUICK TURNS: Scythe uses a streamlined action-selection mechanism (no rounds or phases) to keep gameplay moving at a brisk pace and reduce downtime between turns. 1-5 Players, 115 mins, Ages 14+
• LOW LUCK AND RANDOMNESS: Scythe gives players almost complete control over their fate. Other than each player’s individual hidden objective card, the only elements of luck are “encounter” cards that players will draw as they interact with the citizens of newly explored lands.
• BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED AND ILLUSTRATED: Designed by Jamey Stegmaier (Viticulture). Richly developed alternate reality with interesting and beautiful 1920+ artwork done by Jakub Rozalski (Iron Harvest).
• COLD WAR TENSION: The tension comes more from the threat of combat than the combat itself. Combat hurts both parties but can also benefit both parties. Popularity is lost when you are the attacker in Scythe or forcing a worker to move off of their land, but popularity is gained when making decisions that would gain popularity in a story.
• THEMATICALLY DESIGNED MECHANISMS: The reward descriptions on the Encounter cards add a role-playing feel to Scythe, giving your decisions some morality conflicts besides just selecting from resource benefits.The animal companions, mechs, and characters all tell a rich story of intrigue and sought glory. Upgrades reveal more benefits and make progress in the game easier, giving the feeling of actually upgrading something.
• SOLO PLAY: Features an Automa to play against in a single player game for a fun solitaire experience. The Automa simulates an opponent for you to compete against, while your game as a player remains the same. On the Automa’s turn, flip a card to see what action it takes.
• PUBLISHED BY STONEMAIER: Stonemaier is a tabletop game publisher based in St. Louis and distributed worldwide. Stonemaier's brands include Viticulture, Euphoria, Between Two Cities, Scythe, Charterstone, My Little Scythe, Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig, Wingspan, Tapestry, Pendulum, Red Rising, Rolling Realms Collection, Libertalia, Smitten, Expeditions, Apiary, Wyrmspan, and Stamp Swap.