Grading the Alhambra Expansions (9)

 Fresh Colors

Lay out 4 random project tiles on the project board. Whenever you overpay for a building grab 2 paints from the chart under the matching color you overpaid for. (max 5) Cash them in to buy a project and place it on your building and receive +2VP for each building of that color at the end of the game. 

This expansion is a Meh

I love the idea but it's more distracting to worry about which colors you should get and whether it would benefit your score at the game's end. NONE of us bought one project, though I was close. So though I like the idea, I don't feel its something I would play with each time. 

 

Palace Designers

Start with one and place it on any of the four sides of a recently placed tiles. Score 1VP whenever you play a tile next two it or 2VP if its adjacent to the direction your designer is standing. Then move the designer to the next tile for another opportunity to score. 

This expansion in a MUST

Very fun. Easy to understand and everyone was thinking of ways to place their next tile to get points each turn. Awesome idea. Unique, engaging  and something everyone enjoyed playing with. All those small points CAN add up to victory in the end. 

Gates without End

Place the gate board to the side of the main board. Shuffle the key tiles in a stack face down and the rewards next to them. When someone buys a brown building. take a key tile and position it inside the gate board to receive a reward. Also, the other players will gain a reward based of the position of the tile and their player color. 

This expansion is a MUST

I can't explain it. But we loved this expansion. Everyone went for a brown building the moment they came up just to get a reward that....wasn't the same. Because the key tiles show different rewards you choose from wall pieces, free cards, semi-buildings (which break ties) and plaza tiles which help expand your Alhambra. Really, everyone is a winner even though they didn't get exactly what they wanted. I thought this was a fun one and wouldn't mind it being in all my games moving forward. 

Zoos

Whenever you gain a green garden tile take 2 face down animals from the stack. When you have 2 or more gardens, you can pay cards on your turn getting as many move points as the value of the card. Try to match all the animals in each garden so that they're all the same. At the end of the game score 1VP for each animal that's together in its garden. 

This expansion is a PASS

I was really excited about this one, but moving them is a pain and NOT worth giving up valuable money cards which could be better used buying tiles. This is a worthless addition to the game.