Medieval Academy: the best board game to test contemporary games

What is a board game? Medieval Academy ?

Before being knighted, you must spend six months in a chivalry school. And above all, you have to stand out and outperform other students in different areas. Accessible from 8 years old, for 1 to 5 players and games lasting around thirty minutes, it is an easy game to play, with simple rules and quick games. And it is also a perfect introduction to the mechanics of draft for the whole family.

Published by Blue Cocker, Medieval Academyis a game by Nicolas Poncin, illustrated by Antoine Lanau, and sold at the price of €31.50 at Philibert.

How to play it?

Set up

Installation is simple and quick.

Place the large tray in the center of the table. It represents the castle, and seven tracks which are all tests for budding knights. We form a draw pile with all the learning cards. They are distributed in several colors, the same as the proofs, and in several values.

Each player places a pawn of their color on the first square of each track, receives a counter to count their points, then the game can begin.

Progress of a game

A game takes place over six rounds, all more or less identical.

• We start by dealing five cards at random to each player.
• At the same time, they keep one, then pass the remaining ones to their neighbor.
• Of these, they keep one, then pass on the others. And so on, until you have five cards again. This is the principle of draft .

We then take turns playing a card, and moving forward as many squares as its value on the track of the same color. If I play a blue 3, I move forward 3 squares on the blue track. Four cards are played in this way, the fifth is discarded.

Then, depending on the round number, we resolve the effect of the tracks and/or score points. Always depending on our position on the said track: the further ahead we are, the better.

For example, the orange track (kitchen) allows the leading player to advance another of his pawns by 3 squares each round. And only two boxes for the second and only one for the third. The purple track (studies) causes the last to lose points. The two yellow tracks (games and tournaments) earn points. Etc. We thus continue six rounds in total. And, at the end, the leading player is promoted to knight.

Added to this are a few additional rules and subtleties, but there you have the essential principle of the game. The other side of the board presents the night mode, with slightly more advanced rules, but quite affordable. A solo mode, rather well rendered, is also offered.

Why play Medieval Academy?

Medieval Academy is not new strictly speaking, since a first version was released in 2014. A new edition has just arrived in stores, which benefits from updated illustrations, much more attractive, from the addition of the single player mode, and some minimal adjustments to the rules.

And, good news, the interest is still there, almost ten years later, and the mechanics have not aged a bit.

It must be said that these are really simple and accessible. This is also the great strength of the game. You can play it with the whole family and your friends who are discovering contemporary games. It is even an excellent introduction to the mechanics of draft easier to access than other classics, such as 7 Wonders For example.

This is undoubtedly also its main weakness: the interest and the challenge are too low for a group of experienced players. But they are simply not the target of the game, they have plenty to eat elsewhere. There need to be games for all tastes and experiences. Medieval Academy is rather intended to be played with children or novices, and does it very well.

From the same perspective, we appreciate that the draft is not the only mechanism offered. It’s just a tool to advance on the slopes and score points. Will I favor this or that track instead? Focus on a few? Advance a little everywhere at once? It all depends on the cards I receive, and which I pass to my neighbor. Also a good idea: the scores are hidden during the game, which prevents everyone from focusing on the first one and gives more suspense at the end of the game, when you reveal your result.

The icing on the cake is that the material is particularly neat: pretty illustrations, a large central board, very successful cardboard or wooden pawns. In short, it’s all the more enjoyable to play it.

Ten years after its first edition, Medieval Academybenefit from a welcome discount. Still as simple, still as easy to access, but with up-to-date equipment. If you plan to play it with experienced players, instead set your sights on another game. Conversely, it will be perfect for playing with the family or for introducing people to contemporary games and the mechanics of draftto friends who are just starting out. In short, a classic that never goes out of style…

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