We’ve all thought about it. What would we build if we could create our perfect city? The only problem is you’re not alone. The hipsters, preppies, soccer parents, and rednecks all want in. In Urban Tribes, you control one of these factions and compete for cultural influence over the town. Build businesses and cultural institutions, secure city council seats, and watch your pile of cash and cultural influence grow over time. Strike deals with other players to launch joint projects one moment, like a Yoga Studio for the Hipsters and Preppies or a Scout Hall for the Rednecks and Soccer Parents. In the next moment, use event cards to send lawsuits and campaign attack ads to undermine your opponents’ best laid plans. After all, only one tribe will end up with the city of their dreams.
Urban Tribes took first place at the 2016 KublaCon Game Design contest. It is a combination negotiation, territory control, and resource management game for 2-4 players. The territories are sections of town and the resources are Cash, Mojo (the unit of cultural influence), and City Council Seats/Building Permits. The optimal strategy is highly contingent on the actions of your opponents but will certainly include the premise of coopetition – choosing the right time to partner with which opponent.
"Urban Tribes won our hearts (and our contest) with art, graphic design, and mechanics that bolstered the theme in engaging and fun ways. We got what we wanted and we wanted it more and more."
"I’ve had a lot of fun with this one. It has a really good economic process. It has a really really good negotiating aspect to it. And then you put the underlying tongue-in-cheek humor in it."
"There isn’t a definitive strategy. Because the game engines are produced by the players and the city becomes dynamic because of the decisions made by the players, I felt a lot of high interactivity with the other players at the table, which I really enjoy."
"If you're looking for a strategy game with depth that's fast to learn, if you like the dynamic of being encouraged to work together with your opponents, or if you just like the fun aspect of urban tribes trying to take over a city, then you definitely want to check this one out."
