Santorini (2nd edition)
- Board's Eye View
- Jun 11
- 2 min read
We featured the first edition of Santorini on Board's Eye View back in 2017 but, as we explained in that review, even that 'first edition' wasn't really the very first edition of Gordon Hamilton's abstract strategy game. It was Roxley Games' revamped design that really triggered enthusiasm for the game, with its white-stone blue-domed buildings mirroring the iconic architecture found on the Greek island of Santorini.
The core game involves players moving their pawn and building on adjacent squares. In moving, a player can move in the same plane or can move up one level. They can move down any number of levels. A player wins if they move their pawn to stand on the third level, but players can also block off the third level of a tower by capping it. Tho' the rules are simple, the play involves depth, thought and chess-like challenge. Like chess or draughts, it can be grasped by quite young children but is equally engrossing for adult players.
And as it's set on a Greek island, it's no surprise that Roxley Games added to the mix Greek gods and other characters from Greek mythology, each with their own unique powers. These powers varied quite widely, to the extent that some players complained that drawing an overpowered or relatively underpowered god card had the effect of turning a game of tactical skill into a game of luck. It's a gripe that the publishers have responded to with this second edition - rebalancing at least some of the god powers from the first edition.
The selection of gods differs a little from those in the first edition because this edition incorporates versions of several of the promo cards that were produced for the first edition. We preferred the production quality of the original cards, with their slightly glossy finish but the cards for the second edition have the huge advantage of setting out their powers in full on the reverse. In our review of the first edition we bemoaned the fact that not all of the iconography on the god cards made it obvious what the power was - meaning you needed to refer to the rulebook to decode them. That's no longer the case with these second edition cards. The net result is more streamlined play and an even more streamlined single-page rules sheet.
The already impressive buildings have been further upgraded in this edition; showing a touch more detail. You'll notice too that the minis are not quite so mini...
If you already have Santorini you probably don't need this new edition, tho' you may still want it. If you don't yet own a copy then you should certainly take the opportunity to check out this great game; playable with up to four players but still at its best with two.
