Archona Games has just launched a new Kickstarter campaign for The Great Harbor, a competitive worker placement board game for 2 to 4 players. It’s set in the ancient harbor of Carthage, and that unusually specific premise caught my eye.

In The Great Harbor, players draft and place dice, competing to build the superior colony. Given the titular harbor, players also build ships and send them out on a separate board, aiming to master trading while avoiding pirates on the open sea.

Archona Games also released a brand-new Kickstarter trailer for today’s campaign. The trailer breaks down the basic mechanisms, and showcases some pretty classy components.

The Great Harbor instantly stood out to me for exploring such a concentrated place! It looks like it resulted in some truly thematic, inspired ideas.

There are some familiar mechanisms, but more than a few surprises. I especially look forward to the trade ships, a welcome addition to traditional game flow.

The Great Harbor wisely leans into ships as a central idea. And pushing your luck as you survive one pirate attack to the next emphasizes strategic decisions. In many games, push-your-luck can feel more like an estimated wish.

I also enjoy the idea of carefully splitting dice pips. I haven’t had the chance to play, but it seems like The Great Harbor plans to build density out of just a few streamlined ideas. It’s a promising angle, if everything falls together smoothly.

I’m one of many Dune Imperium fans (it’s a personal favorite), so we know it can be done, especially as every new expansion releases. You can also win the senate for political favors in The Great Harbor!

There’s a lot of design space to discover here, so I hope the best for Archona Games’ campaign. Be sure to support them for SGs and updates!

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