The Yunnan province of China is the home of delicious Pu’erh tea. It is also called black tea. The tea’s history can be traced back all the way to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 – 220CE). The boardgame was originally released in 2013.
In Yunnan players control the fate of tea-trading dynasties. Each round starts with an auction for one of five production buildings:
- Getting an extra worker;
- Gaining an extra border crossing point for use later;
- Moving your horse forward along the trading trail;
- Increasing your influence within the emperor’s court;
- Being able to build an improvement.
Workers placed in these buildings represent your bids. Workers not used in the auction are available to extend your trading network. Your network can extend as far as your horse has traveled, and in a single round your workers can move as far as you have border crossing points.
Understandably, players with more influence can send another player’s worker back a step. Meanwhile the inspector, a vainglorious and spiteful individual, shows up in the most profitable province and can send a worker all the way back to the Pu’erh markets. At the end of the round you decide whether you want more money for the next auction or more victory points.
Surprisingly this game has been a longtime favorite among our gaming group. Well a favorite for most of our group. We don’t all agree on this one. Give us a listen!
