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Nowadays, a lot of expansions see the sunlight, but not all of them are worthy additions, and they often stray from the original gameplay. So, does Tekhenu: Time of Seth, released in 2021, avoid these pitfalls? Released just one year after the base game, this expansion is also designed by the talented duo Daniele Tascini and Dávid Turczi and published by Board&Dice. Let’s delve into Tekhenu: Time of Seth and see how it measures up.
Tekhenu, the imposing obelisk, casts its long shadows over the game board, dictating the actions players can take as the sun moves across the sky. In each turn, players choose a die from the areas around the obelisk, with the dice being pure, tainted, or forbidden based on their color and the shadow cast by Tekhenu.
In the base game, players perform actions in six regions of the board, each corresponding to a different Egyptian god: Horus, Ra, Hathor, Bastet, Thoth, and Osiris. The “Time of Seth” expansion introduces Seth, the god of conflict, who brings along soldiers and priests.
This expansion also introduces three new dice colors: blue and red dice, which are always tainted, and a green die, which remains pure regardless of the obelisk’s shadow. These dice can be used for their value in the district they are placed in, but the red and blue dice also boost the player’s soldier or priest track as a bonus.
Soldiers come into play in the Seth district, a new area on an additional board, activated with gray dice placed there during setup. In this district, players can spend soldiers to place their buildings, gaining bonuses and points during the scoring phase. However, sending soldiers to foreign lands isn’t a peaceful affair, and players will receive a blood token, which permanently taints their scales. Unlike faith tokens, blood tokens aren’t discarded during the maat phase.
Building in the Seth district also affects the temple, as players gain a conquest tile to replace one of the preprinted bonuses. Placing a building around the temple complex or a column on the conquest tile will now provide new bonuses instead of the preprinted ones.
With priests, players can purchase artifact cards, which offer powerful one-time effects when choosing the destiny card at the start of each maat phase. The expansion also includes additional blessing, technology, and decree cards, focusing on the new elements introduced, thus balancing out the end-game scoring.
Final Thoughts
Tekhenu is a game with a learning curve. After not playing it for a while, it quickly became a favorite again as we re-familiarized ourselves with its mechanics. The planning and strategizing improved with each playthrough. The “Time of Seth” expansion adds exciting new possibilities, and we can’t imagine playing the game without it anymore.
In the photos, you see not only the base game and the “Time of Seth” expansion but also the “Warmth of a Cat” mini-expansion, the “Noble Buildings” promo, and custom upgrades made by Plastic & Wood: https://www.etsy.com/be/shop/SIPPStore
