Automania - Multicoloured - APO0001

Such a great game, we thoroughly enjoy it!!!

When I saw this game, it at first did not appeal to me. Nothing about the box cover jumped out at me. I don't have a problem with the cutesy art style it just did not strike my interest at first. Then I heard some rumblings that this game was actually a very good game. So I figured the theme is not one I have seen many times if at all and the mechanics sound good so I gave it a try. I have to say I am very pleased with this game. On your turn you have a lot of quality decision making to do. You have to decide if you want to build a car right away, how you want to customize your car, if you want to hire some managers, or take new contracts. Then after you have built a car you decide whether you want to sell it to the North American market or the European market, do you want money or victory points and do you want to add extra workers to boost it those few extra stars to make it just a little bit better than your opponents cars. All in all I enjoyed this game. The components are good, the mechanics are solid and easy to learn, some player interaction and good decisions to make. I would say this is a step above a gateway game. A little more complex than Ticket to Ride, Catan, or even New York 1901; but definitely still easy to teach and learn. My only two cons with this game is 1. The game did not come with a good insert or any bags to put the pieces in once they are punched out. This might seem like a minor thing but i really love it when a game has a good,insert and the pieces all go in their respective spots and aren't bouncing all around in the box. Thankfully I have a bunch of my own bags and was able to bag the pieces myself. 2. As with many games if your playing with someone who is prone to analysis paralysis it can take longer than it should. But if your playing with people who can make relatively quick good decisions you should be good. These are only minor gripes. In the end I really enjoyed this game. If you like worker placement games and are looking for a fresh theme that can either be played with gamers or families, this is the game for you!

Was also surprisingly easy to teach new people as well. Every new person seems to enjoy it as well. One of my favorite games ... a Top 10

Good game but be aware : On the picture you see the 2nd edition (white box) but what you get is the 1st edition ( yellow box)

Automania is a superb, light Euro-style board game about building cars! What's great about Automania is that you can start building cars ON TURN ONE! Yep, no tedious build a car bit by bit like so many "heavier" car making games! If you want a solid 'light' or family-oriented game, get Automania! You won't regret it!

Shame the 2nd edition changed things, but this is still a winner.

I have only played a few worker placement games, but this would be my worker placement game of choice at this point. I really feel like I am producing cars and selling them to the right market. The theme and the mechanics are beautifully meshed. The game will play in about 45 minutes for two players and probably around an hour and a half for four players. Both of those times are definitely reasonable for this game. Great decisions are available. The only problem is that there is a lot of accounting to do on multiple fronts. This game makes my head get hot because I'm doing math so hard. I could definitely see this game being prone to Analysis paralysis. This is probably a medium weight worker placement, but the accounting is heavy. I still really enjoy the game. Actual Rating: 9/10

Charming art style and production design. Nice, colorful board. Quality components. If you're looking for a fun, mid-weight Euro, look no further. Plays pretty quick, if you can avoid analysis paralysis, which can be a potential problem with the good variety of choices available on each turn. Thinky, with a dash of luck thrown in with the randomization of tiles. Very enjoyable!