Cacao board game with similarities to Carcassonne

[Decar]

To be fair I had a choice:  Buy the expansion for 12€ or buy the expansion, with Lichtung and a box of chocolates for 11.49€

I've not played with the Lichtung yet, but I can see it makes sense, if you have some 1-1-1-1 tiles in your hand and you need to activate 2 of the four things.  It adds a little pressure.

As for the other, I ordered an advent calander, each of the promos cost about 2€ and I've managed to sell about 2/3rds of them.  I have some still available here.  I wanted some of the other ones too: Carcassonne, Orleans, Isle of Skye to name a few.

I don't think the golden temple breaks anything - everyone had access to it and the existing temples are a bit weak.  I can see perhaps ditching 2 temples for a gold temple + a plantation or maybe a chocolat tile or a single volcano.

I'm not a fan of the varying trade-huts, swapping for 1 or 4 coins is quite significant.  But again it would work with the Chocolat Expansion quite well: Chocolate sells for 7.

[dirk2112]

As for the other, I ordered an advent calander, each of the promos cost about 2€ and I've managed to sell about 2/3rds of them.  I have some still available here.  I wanted some of the other ones too: Carcassonne, Orleans, Isle of Skye to name a few.

Did you already sell the Colt Express elf promo?  If not, do you know what you would want for it?

[Decar]

Sorry, Think that was the first to go: check out the list here:

http://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=2151.msg30146#msg30146

[jungleboy]

We have played this game a ton with 2 people, 3 people, and 4 people.  Whoever gets the $4 market can win the game assuming that they are able to at least get some water and they have cacao to sell when the $4 market comes up.   The person who can use the tile can put a 3 meeple tile down and place the $4 market in between the newly placed tile and one of their other tiles (say a 1-1-1-1 tile).  They then can sell 4 cacao at $4 which is 16 points.  The next 2 players, at most can sell 3 cacao for $12.  In a 4 player game, one person is left out and probably won't win especially when you throw in the sun chips.  Now if we have a $5 tile, you can get 20 points just with that tile.  It just seems too powerful.

If that's been your experience, then I guess I can't argue. But it still seems a bit strange to me. Firstly, the difference between 16 and 12 doesn't seem like that much, certainly not enough to decide the game then and there. Secondly, it seems to assume an awful lot, namely that the player who can draw the 4-gold market a) has a 3-1-0-0 tile at his disposal, b) has a spot on the board where he can connect it to both the 3-meeple side and an existing 1+-meeple side elsewhere on the board, and c) has 4 cacao fruits already stored up. And finally, the stone disks could allow other players to re-score from that market at the end of the game.

[dirk2112]

If that's been your experience, then I guess I can't argue. But it still seems a bit strange to me. Firstly, the difference between 16 and 12 doesn't seem like that much, certainly not enough to decide the game then and there. Secondly, it seems to assume an awful lot, namely that the player who can draw the 4-gold market a) has a 3-1-0-0 tile at his disposal, b) has a spot on the board where he can connect it to both the 3-meeple side and an existing 1+-meeple side elsewhere on the board, and c) has 4 cacao fruits already stored up. And finally, the stone disks could allow other players to re-score from that market at the end of the game.

The sun chips are only permitted on top of your previously placed tiles.  So that is why the player who doesn't get a tile on the $4 market loses for sure.  The difference between 16 and 12 isn't that great, but at the game end with sun chips, the player who placed the market can get 2 more tiles down and make even more money.   The 3 meeple tile will come up eventually and that person has the best opportunity to get the most $$$ out of that market.  My game group sits on cacao waiting for this tile.  Nobody sells to the $2 store unless it is the only thing they can do.  Also, as you mentioned the tile can come up early.  If it does, it won't change the game much and the games where that has happened have been more fun. 

In a 2 player game, the sun chips never come into play, but the person putting down the $4 market can put 3 tiles around it when the other person can only get 1. You won't have enough cacao to put the other person away as you can only hold the maximum, but at least you can block the other person for selling more than 3 cacao at the store.

The 3 player game is the most fair IMHO.   

I just went looking on BGG and no one else seems to mention this, so maybe it is just me. 

[jungleboy]

And finally, the stone disks could allow other players to re-score from that market at the end of the game.

The sun chips are only permitted on top of your previously placed tiles.  So that is why the player who doesn't get a tile on the $4 market loses for sure. 

Yep. I meant for players 2 and 3 (hence 're-score'). I haven't played with four players but I can see how the fourth player could miss out entirely. Maybe the map module for the Chocolate expansion could make this more interesting, although (admittedly having not played it) I don't know why they created a new 'map currency' to pay with to get one of the two further tiles when they could have just had you pay in gold.

I just went looking on BGG and no one else seems to mention this, so maybe it is just me. 

Why don't you post it there and see what response you get?

[dirk2112]

I haven't played with any of the expansions, so hopefully the chocolate stores and the milking machines make a 4 player game better.

The game had a ton of currency to start with (water, cacao, money, and sun chips).  I imagine living in Luxembourg was that complicated before the Euro.

Why don't you post it there and see what response you get?

Done!

[Curt194]

It's a shame about the colour variation, but it shouldn't matter too much right? I mean you always preview the upcoming tiles anyway and the maps module makes this even less of a problem.

I've come round to the swapping out mechanic. I'd like some future expansions to perhaps add some extra worker tiles too, but I do always find cacao's pace pretty much perfect at the moment.

Still no news on a UK release either, getting more tempting to import, but I like to try and support my FLGS where possible!

[Decar]

It's been out a while now, surprised Zman hasn't taken it yet.  But they haven't taken Princess and Dragon yet either!

[Decar]

Spiele Offensive have some offers on until the 1st May on Abacus Spiele Games (including Cacao Chocolat), it may be of interest to some:  https://www.spiele-offensive.de/index.php?cmd=preisaktion&id=52

Also many Schmidt Spiele Games are also 20% off - A lot of Hans Im Glueck games: https://www.spiele-offensive.de/index.php?cmd=preisaktion&id=107

[jungleboy]

Spiele Offensive have some offers on until the 1st May on Abacus Spiele Games (including Cacao Chocolat), it may be of interest to some:  https://www.spiele-offensive.de/index.php?cmd=preisaktion&id=52

Lucca Città looks like a steal at €2.99!

[ARabidMeerkat]

I've been away from the whole CC shindig for sometime. Could anyone bring me up to speed on what expansions are avaliable to Cacao and where, since I'm in the UK, I can get them?

[Decar]

Check BBG's entry. Or my player aide you can find here or on the files section on bgg.

There is one promo, one advent calendar promo, one mini expansion and one major expansion. Jungleboy lisred the contents of the mini expansion here: http://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=1924.msg34175#msg34175

[SRBO]

Today i recieved the game for my birthday! I really like it.

I'm really curious about the difference between playing with 2, 3 or 4 players. Can someone give some intel on that?

Equally disappointed in the colour variation 

Also not fond of pulling tiles for expansions. I can see this is part of the reason it wouldn't come out to play as much as other titles.

I suppose once one settles on the set you like to play with the most you wouldn't could leave it that way for a quicker set up.

Still looking forward to the Chocolate expansions, its not on this side of the pond that I've seen anywhere.

Any expansion of a game is a game I like.
We stack the tiles (there aren't that much like carcassonne.) so we always pick the upper tile. In that way you can't choose the tile with the right backgroundcolor.
I'm definitely going to buy the expansions.

[Decar]

Happy Birthday SRBO!

Sorry Ive only played cacao 2player. I thibk franks and dirk will be able to assist though!