Wouter & Ymke 
Step into the Interbellum period, a time of industrial growth between the World Wars. In this era, new architectural styles like Art Deco, Constructivism, and Bauhaus emerge, bringing fresh opportunities for industrial advancement. Furnace: Interbellum introduces new mechanisms and components that build on the base game, offering deeper strategic layers and enhanced gameplay.
Game Overview
Furnace: Interbellum is an expansion designed by Ivan Lashin and published by Arcane Wonders. With this expansion, the game now supports 1-5 players, ages 12 and up, with each session lasting about 30-60 minutes. This expansion brings additional company cards, startup cards, and capitalists, reflecting a new era of industrialization. It also includes components for a fifth player and new agents for two-player and single-player games.
Gameplay Mechanics
New Card Effects
The expansion introduces cards with unique effects, marked by a lightning bolt symbol. These cards trigger immediate effects when bought or upgraded. Additionally, some cards offer permanent effects, allowing players to store resources on cards, reward extra actions, or provide resources when activating certain conversions.
Variable Discs
In the auction phase, players now place their four capital discs along with a variable disc. This disc’s value is set by paying coal, which can go up to any amount the player is willing to pay. This introduces a strategic element where players can underbid others and use coal to gain more resources as compensation.
Managers
Another new mechanic is the introduction of managers. Each round, two managers are added to the auction alongside company cards. Managers can be won in the same manner as company cards and offer bonuses when paired with a company card during the production phase. These bonuses include extra resources, free activations, additional conversions, and more. Players choose to combine managers with company cards at the start of the production phase to apply their effects.
Components and Setup
The game components, including the new cards and tokens, maintain the high quality of the base game. The expansion’s artwork and graphic design seamlessly integrate with the original, enhancing the overall visual appeal. The theme of the Interbellum period is well-reflected in the new components, making the gameplay more immersive.
Complexity and Player Interaction
Furnace: Interbellum excels when all its new elements are in play, but it allows for a gradual introduction of the expansion’s modules. Some startup or capitalist cards have specific benefits tied to the new mechanics, so they should be used together.
The managers and new card effects enrich the game without significantly increasing complexity. However, the variable capital discs introduce a deeper strategic layer. In the base game, the highest bid value was four, ensuring ownership of a card. With the variable discs, players must now anticipate and estimate opponents’ moves, introducing more foresight and tactical depth to the auction phase.
Potential Drawbacks
One possible downside of the expansion is that the added strategic elements can make the game more punishing if you miscalculate your resources or bids. Additionally, the variable disc mechanic might feel unbalanced at times, especially if opponents have an abundance of coal.
Conclusion and Recommendation
The inclusion of new effects and managers enriches the strategic experience of Furnace. The ability to gain extra actions and utilize managers for bonuses makes the game more dynamic. The variable discs, in particular, transform the auction phase into a mind game, where predicting opponents’ coal resources and potential bids becomes crucial.
We already love Furnace for its simplicity and depth. Furnace: Interbellum enhances the game with extra layers of suspense and strategy, making it a must-have expansion for fans of the base game. The variable discs are especially tactical, introducing a new dimension to bidding and resource management. If you enjoy Furnace and are looking for more strategic challenges, Interbellum is definitely worth adding to your collection.
📝 Disclaimer: We received a copy of the game from the publisher, Arcane Wonders.
