Wouter & Ymke 
In the landscape of historical inventions, the printing press stands tall as a turning point, marking the end of the Middle Ages. The game Printing Press seeks to bring players back to this crucial moment, where they play the role of early printers, fulfilling orders and vying for recognition in the form of fame points.
👥 1-4 players, ages 10+
⌛ Playing time: 30-60 minutes
📝 Designers: Przemek Wojtkowiak & Łukasz Woźniak
🎨 Artwork: Rafał Szłapa
🏢 Publisher: Granna (Review copy provided)
At its core, Printing Press is about completing orders. Every order in the game is visualized as a combination of a printing frame and a plate. As you go through the gameplay, you’ll be adding cards to a tableau, a space where you organize and strategize. By the end of a game round, players outline a section of their tableau with a frame. This outlined portion is where they score points from. After three rounds of such gameplay, it’s time to tally the points and determine the winner.
📜 Navigating through each round involves several distinct stages. Initially, players are presented with orders. These orders, formed by matching frames and plates, need to be chosen by players. The order in which players get to pick is determined by something called ‘initiative.’ Think of ‘initiative’ as a measure of a player’s influence in the game at any given moment. It decides who gets first dibs on the available choices. This ‘initiative’ can shift based on various game elements like initiative cubes or icons on players’ tableaus. The last player in the order gets a slight advantage for the next round in the form of an initiative cube.
🃏 Cards play an essential role in Printing Press. During each round, players are required to select cards, a total of six times. Each card you choose gets added to your tableau. There’s an element of strategy here: you need to think about where you place each card. Sometimes, the available cards might not fit your plan. In such instances, you can discard a card and pick a token instead.
⭐ Amidst the card selection process, there’s a particular moment in each round where players place a bonus marker. When matched with certain symbols, this marker can fetch extra points during final scoring.
🖼️ After all selections, players finalize their tableau for that round by placing their frame around a 3×3 section. The symbols and elements within this section determine the points scored. Each round has its set of scoring criteria based on the chosen order and the symbols captured within the frame.
🏆 After three rounds of play, bonus points from the markers are added to the scores from each round. It’s then time to see who has amassed the most points.
Designed by Przemek Wojtkowiak and Łukasz Woźniak with art by Rafał Szłapa, Printing Press is intended for 1 to 4 players and is suitable for ages ten and up. Granna has positioned it in their Expert line, and interestingly, it’s somewhat of a spiritual successor to their 2021 release, Gutenberg.
📜 Let’s start simple: Printing Press is straightforward to grasp. Over three rounds of open drafting, players choose cards for their tableau. The goal? Collect symbols in alignment with your drafted goals. It sounds easy, but the placement and orientation of these cards make it a delightful puzzle. I’ll admit, more than once, I found myself second-guessing my decisions.
🧩 Every player begins with a character tile. This is a nice touch—it gives a hint of variety, as each character has a different one-time ability. While this doesn’t overhaul the gameplay, it’s a pleasant variation to keep things fresh. Plus, these tiles have a dual purpose, also acting as tie-breakers when determining the initiative order.
⏳ This ‘initiative’ system, while ensuring a dynamic player order, sometimes slowed things down. It’s a trade-off, I guess, between fluid gameplay and the added strategic layer. Now, I must share: there’s an element of luck. There were times when the cards didn’t quite align with my plans. But all was not lost; discarding a card allowed me to draw three tokens, giving me another chance at my goals. I appreciated this—it kept the game unpredictable, ensuring no two rounds ever felt the same.
🔍 Scoring is versatile, offering different pathways to victory. But a heads up: the wealth of choices can be slightly overwhelming. In my games, I noticed a few players, myself included, hesitating a tad too long, pondering our next move.
🎨 Aesthetically, the game is pleasing. The cards are functional, but given their unique size, card sleevers might find it challenging to find suitable sleeves for them. And then there’s a cat’s paw time tracker—simply adorable! There are many similarities in the artwork style with Gutenberg, but it still felt fresh and unique in its own right.
👍 Printing Press is a modest yet intriguing blend of history and strategy. While it’s not without its quirks, it’s a game that encourages thoughtful decisions, rewarding those who find the balance between strategy and adaptability. If you’re curious about a game combining historical ambiance with some delightful puzzling, this might be worth your time. From my end, it’s a thumbs up.
📝 Disclaimer: We were kindly provided a review copy of Printing Press by Granna.
