Brides & Bribes game board presents the Renaissance Genoa.
The worker placement and resource management board game Brides & Bribes is set in Genoa during the Renaissance period. The Republic was an oligarchy ruled by a small group of merchant families, from whom the Doge (the city’s Lord) was chosen. That's why Brides & Bribes designers defined Genoa as the right location: to let players feel like they truly were a powerful family trying to gain the confidence of the Lord of each borough and marrying one of his daughters.
The game board is divided into five boroughs representing different areas of Genoa: the Port, the Market, the Citadel, the Fortress, and the Countryside. Let's learn a bit more of each of these areas.
Port borough
The Port
Genoa was not a common city: it was a maritime city and it developed an important position in Europe’s history and economy. Its favorable geographic position (it's guarded by the sea and surrounded by the Mountains) made Genoa a strategic link between the Mediterranean Sea and the north. For this reason, the city was an intriguing location where it was possible to find different types of people and its Ancient Port was the center of it.
Starting from the Lighthouse, which helped guide the ships arriving in Genoa, you can imagine yourself walking along the docks, among the anglers, and losing yourself in the narrow alleys with small, simple houses. Perhaps you should avoid this poor, ugly borough, infested with thieves and scoundrels of all kinds. Nevertheless, in this place, you can find dark, but useful characters such as assassins, rats and traitors to achieve your shady purposes.
Market borough
The Market
The Market shines with its beautiful San Giorgio’ Palace! If you are interested in emptying your pockets, the Market is the right place: you can find clothes of any kind, spices, and preciouses’ stones but be careful because you can also bump into a crook or a barker.
Maybe you need to meet an important merchant in San Giorgio’s Palace, headquarters for economics and administrative functions. He is the right person to approach because he knows how to use your money to increase your victory status or hire workers to expand your power and your business.
Citadel borough
The Citadel
After a short break in the market conducting affairs and negotiations, it is time to continue our walk and reach another great part of the Brides & Bribes game board: the Citadel.
Look up to the sky and try to reach the top of San Lorenzo’s Cathedral bell tower: it looks fantastic! Now turn to your right and have a look of the wonderful and elegant Doria Tursi’s Palace. There is no better borough than this for your rich business. In fact, you can find useful and wealthy character such as the treasurer or a magistrate who can modify the prestige of every guide present in the borough with you. But, be careful: there are others cunning nobles ready to hinder your purpose!
Fortress borough
The Fortress
It is time to continue our trip through the great art of Alan D’Amico and enter in the Fortress: both great and austere! Here you can hire a guard to protect you and your family. You know how shady characters can ruin your plans or even worse murder one of your family or henchmen! Better to be prepared…
Maybe you need to find a mediator to help you to employ the right worker; or you can find a lover, who will try to blackmail a nobleman who wants to get married stealing the dowry of his intended bride. Be careful: in Brides & Bribes, no borough is a quiet place!
Countryside boroug
The Countryside
Leaving the walls of the Fortress, hopefully unscathed, we enter in the Genovese countryside where you can walk among farms and meet strange characters. Perhaps there is an old hag ready to prevent a rival from marrying your love or maybe a young damsel will bewitch you with her charm. Certainly, in Brides & Bribes deception is always possible…
In the next article, learn more about the families presented in the game.
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