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Imagine tulips blooming all over the Netherlands, with vibrant fields stretching as far as the eye can see. Foreign traders are introducing exciting new types of tulip bulbs to local farmers, who are in a race to build windmills and grow the most beautiful tulips to outshine their rivals. Welcome to Windmill Valley, a game that lets you step into the shoes of a tulip farmer and enjoy the challenge of strategic farming and trading.
👥 1-4 players, ages 14+
⌛ Playing time: 45-90 minutes
📝 Designers: Dani Garcia
🎨 Artwork: Pedro Codeço & Zbigniew Umgelter
🏢 Publisher: Board&Dice (review copy provided)
How to Play Windmill Valley
In Windmill Valley, you become a tulip farmer aiming to score the most victory points by cultivating tulips and constructing windmills in the picturesque valley. Each turn, you can manipulate the flow of water through your watermill by opening or closing the floodgate, which changes the water level and affects the rotation speed of your wheels. As the wheels turn, two actions are indicated by arrows, and you get to choose one to activate. If you need a different action, you can use tools to adjust the wheel’s rotation by one step more or less than the water flow requires.
The wheel offers various actions to boost your farm and wheel. Farm enhancements come as cards that you place in slots above your player board, giving you bonuses for specific actions. These enhancements can also be placed below your board to act as contracts, scoring points at the end of the game. Wheel enhancements come in three strengths and fit between the spokes, covering basic actions. Some tiles feature a + sign, allowing you to activate the actions of both wheels simultaneously when the tile is in play.
Building windmills is another crucial action, earning you tulips or bonus actions from the fields connected to the building spot. Constructing windmills also clears windmill groups on your player board, enhancing your scoring opportunities at the end of the game.
You can also visit the market and engage in foreign trade to gather more tulips or gain extra actions. Planting tulip bulbs from your personal supply into your patches is vital, as the positioning of colors can score points at the end of the game.
Every time the big wheel completes a full turn, you advance on the calendar track and earn a bonus. When you reach the final space on the track, the game enters its final stages. Players then tally points for their contracts, the colors of their planted bulbs multiplied by the emptied windmill groups, and the filled rows and columns in their patch.
Windmill Valley Game Info
Windmill Valley is designed by Dani Garcia, who quickly made a name for himself with last year’s hits like Barcelona and Arborea. Although he’s a relatively new designer with just a few games under his belt, each one has been a delight, and Windmill Valley is no exception. Published by the Polish company Board&Dice, this game transports 1-4 players to the late 19th-century Netherlands. The recommended age on the box is 14+, and a game typically lasts between 45 and 90 minutes, depending on the number of players.
Components, Production, and Artwork
Board&Dice has outdone themselves with Windmill Valley. The rulebook is clear and well-structured, filled with images and examples to ensure there’s no room for confusion—kudos to them for maintaining such high standards. The artwork, crafted by Pedro Codeço and Zbigniew Umgelter, is vibrant and colorful. While the box cover art is particularly striking, the board itself can come off as a bit too vibrant and playful—though this adds a certain charm.
Component-wise, everything is solid and functional without being overproduced. The cards and cardboard components are of good quality, with the tulip bulbs being a bit thicker, which is a nice touch. We have a soft spot for custom wooden components, and the wooden windmills are truly fantastic—they’re the stars of the game, alongside the player’s individual windmill boards. The game could benefit from an included insert for neat storage, but we expect third-party companies will quickly fill this gap.
Gameplay
Windmill Valley offers straightforward rules but a lot to ponder. The main complexity lies in managing the dual watermill wheels. Players can upgrade these wheels to activate both actions, requiring careful planning and calculation to align the wheel segments just right. Since the wheels turn at different speeds, this poses quite the challenge.
Planning ahead is key in Windmill Valley, especially when it comes to managing your tulip bulbs and ensuring that your patches are filled with the right colors at the right time. Success in this game hinges on your ability to think several steps ahead and meticulously plan your moves.
The interaction between players is mostly indirect. When building windmills, connections to the market are essential. Using an opponent’s structure grants them a victory point. During market actions, the presence of opponents can benefit you, allowing for multiple activations depending on how many players are present. Neutral player markers are added based on player count, and players can pay extra to move these markers to their advantage, ensuring the market functions smoothly regardless of player count.
Our Experience
Windmill Valley pleasantly surprised us with its innovative two-cog action selection mechanism. There were plenty of moments when our planned actions didn’t align as expected, forcing us to rethink our strategies. The watermill mechanism and action selection process kept us on our toes. And with multiple paths to victory, including building windmills, enhancing farms, and engaging in trade, players can explore a variety of strategies in each game.
Final Thoughts
We really enjoy playing Windmill Valley! The game beautifully captures the historical and cultural essence of tulip farming in the Netherlands, seamlessly integrating the famous Bloemen Route into its gameplay mechanics. Windmill Valley offers crunchy decision-making and is a truly enjoyable and fulfilling game. This game is ideal for players who love intricate mechanics and the challenge of optimizing their moves within a well-balanced strategic framework.
📝 Disclaimer: This review is based on a copy of the game provided by the publisher, Board&Dice.
