Age: 10 and up

Length: 30 minutes

 

        Pirate and hunting-themed board games are nothing new, and the large proliferation that saturate the market these days often leave gamers less than satisfied or indifferent. Martinique is that rarity in gaming which involves a bit of strategy, yet is easy enough for anyone to grasp. Neither overlong or boring, Emanuelle Ornella's brilliant creation manages to keep players engaged with action from the very start. acting as pirate captains digging for buried treasure and other important items. The player who first either locates the Lost Treasure(rumored to be buried on the island of Martinique according to legend) or should the Lost treasure not be found accumulate the most small treasure points at the end wins.
 
        My initial impression upon opening the game was an unassuming one. The game board is simply laid out as a gridded 8 by 8 map of Martinique, numbered 1-8 vertically and A-H horizontally. This row/column configuration would be used to provide the coordinates necessary for locating the hidden treasure. Souvenir tiles representing rifles, small treasure, parrots, rum, skull, etc., are placed randomly face up throughout the board. map tiles face down. The four center spaces at the center of the board announcing itself as The Hook Bar are left clear, but is also represented more explicitly to the side w/ bartender and stools, along w/ two map and joker tiles are placed there. Each of the two players lead a crew of four loyal pirates, with a minimum of 3 placed around the island's shore before they can begin exploring.

 

        To move, a pirate simply advances the number of spaces indicated on the souvenir or map tile they are standing on. They then gather as many useful tiles as possible and try to out-maneuver their opponents. Map tiles are also arranged by number and letter, and one of each is randomly placed faced down on the spot marked "Lost Treasure". Collecting the most useful tiles from the board gives a player an advantage in that they may be able to figure out the Lost Treasure's location through the process of elimination. Points are accumulated for sets of small treasure found by matching collected souvenir tiles with small treasure tiles placed on the side of the board. Should a pirate end up on an empty space by choice or accident, they must then retire to The Hook Bar located at the center of the board, which could possibly put them at an advantage over their opponents; the aforementioned Joker tiles placed there before the start of the game can also be used as souvenir tiles to help locate small treasure.
 
        Martinique offers many strategic options, and it is up to players to choose what course of action that best suit their needs. Should they avoid their opponent's crew, thus preventing them from getting a sneak peek at their map tiles, or do they close to compete for the best possible souvenir tiles, but risk having their own tiles revealed to their opponent? They may decide to continue using their pirates to collect tiles, or send them to the bar in hopes of taking that first big step towards finding the big prize. Should they only pick up Map tiles in an all-out assault towards the Lost Treasure, or play it safely and amass as much smaller fortune as possible in the even that the game ends without the Lost Treasure being found?  

 

        Appearances can be very deceiving, and this is what makes Martinique so special. I was quite impressed over how a simple looking game as this could involve so much depth and strategy, combining the best elements reminiscent of such classic games as Clue, Stratego, and even Dungeons and Dragons. I haven't had this much playing a grid-oriented board game since, gosh, I can't remember. Martinique is a fun and challenging game that will definitely appeal to players of all ages, and clearly one of the best gaming surprises of the year. AHOY THERE, MATEYS! ARG! 5 OUT OF 5 STARS.

My Ratings Scale are as follows: