Luthier
About the Game
Luthier transports players to the height of classical music in Western Europe, when the art of the instrument was upheld equally by skilled craftspeople, noble patrons, virtuoso performers, and famous composers such as Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. Using a new, unique combination of hidden bidding and worker placement, players manage resources to craft various musical instruments in their workshop, while also courting actual historic patrons through an ever-changing personal tableau of actions a
Reviews
Luthier
Luthier was a pleasant surprise – it’s a heavy Euro that strikes a beautiful chord between theme and mechanics. As a master instrument maker in 18th-century Europe, I was simultaneously bidding behind the scenes to attract famous patrons and sending my workers to gather rare woods, strings, and skilled artisans for crafting instruments. The hidden bidding combined with traditional worker placement creates delicious tension – you’re never sure if someone else has outbid you for a patron’s favor, which kept me on edge. The game is dripping with thematic flavor too: the artwork by Vincent Dutrait is gorgeous, and the whole production is rich with historical detail and classical music lore. Despite all its moving parts, Luthier feels elegant rather than cumbersome. It doesn’t reinvent the Euro genre, but it polishes and twists it enough to stand out, blending clever ideas with a rich theme. On the flip side, it’s definitely a brain-burner – our first game ran long as we learned the intricate bidding and crafting systems, so I wouldn’t play this with casual players. But for those who enjoy a deep, thematic strategy game, Luthier hits all the right notes. Many folks agree that Luthier is shaping up to be something special for heavy Euro enthusiasts.
✓ Pros
- • Unique hidden bidding + worker placement
- • Rich classical music theme
- • Challenging and strategic gameplay
✗ Cons
- • Complex and rules-heavy
- • Long playtime (brain-burner)
- • Bidding element may not suit everyone
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