Saint Petersburg
2 - 4 players
Ages 10 & up
Playing time: 60 minutes
Publisher Publisher: Rio Grande/Hans im Gluck
Author: Michael Tummelhofer
Artist: Doris Matthaus

Awards
Winner Deutscher SpielePre 2004
Finalist Spiel des Jahres 2004
Winner Best Strategy Game International Gamers Award 2004
Finalist Best Advanced Strategy Game Games 100 2004

Baroque palaces, wide boulevards, and elegant bridges: St Petersburg. On May 16, 1703, Czar Peter the Great lays the foundation for the first building. Quickly impressive buildings are erected that are ever more grand and beautiful. Such buildings bring the aristocracy glory and the players victory points. But you need traders to bring the rubles necessary for all this magnificence, otherwise, the buildings are empty and bare. But the competition never sleeps and may grab needed cards right from under your nose. St Petersburg: the card game of beautiful living on the Neva.

Contents: 1 game board, 383 rubles, 120 cards, 4 golden wooden starting player markers, 8 wooden figures in 4 colors, Full colour rule booklet. Box size approximately 27 x 17 x 7cm.

Game Guide

Theme
The theme is not critical to the game, and the feeling that you are really building a city isn't that strong. But the theme and graphics do give it some atmosphere and add to the enjoyment of the game.

Components
The components are typical of a mid priced German game, nothing outstanding, but well made. Illustrations are colourful and reflect the time period the game is based in. The box has a plastic insert which actually has correct compartments for all the cards and pieces... a nice touch.

Attitude
There is not a lot of humour and really nothing to offend.

Tension
Tension in the game can be high. There is nearly always a shortage of money in the first half of the game, especially if players haven't spent wisely on the first few turns. Players win by having the the most points not by having the most money. But you need to buy cards which earn money, so you have an income to buy cards that earn points. It's the constant balancing between trying to earn an income but not losing site of your goal of accumulating points that make this game fun.

Complexity
It wouldn't take to long to teach, the mechanics are quite straightforward and could be played with Children as young as 9, if they are experienced strategy game players. Experienced players would have an advantage over those that haven't played, the skill in understanding the value of the special cards and managing and budgeting your spending will take several games to master.

Strategy
The skill in winning this game is not so much in good strategy but in your business skill and timing (between investing in income and buying points to win the game). There is a liitle luck based on the cards that become available to buy, but over the course of the game isn't significant..

Education
Although the theme is light, the historical context does introduces an atmosphere of 16th century Russia. But educationally Saint Petersburg really shines as a business game. It requires a good business sence, and would be a useful tool developing money management skills such as budgeting, math, and understanding the value of compounding returns.

Number of Players
Saint Petersburg plays well with 2, 3 and 4 players.

Conflict
There's no conflict in Saint Petersburg. But their is competition over the cards avalaible for purchase.