Small World

2009 | Fantasy | Fighting | Territory Building

In Small World, players vie for conquest and control of a world that is simply too small to accommodate them all.

Designed by Philippe Keyaerts as a fantasy follow-up to his award-winning Vinci, Small World is inhabited by a zany cast of characters such as dwarves, wizards, amazons, giants, orcs, and even humans, who use their troops to occupy territory and conquer adjacent lands in order to push the other races off the face of the earth.

Picking the right combination from the 14 different fantasy races and 20 unique special powers, players rush to expand their empires - often at the expense of weaker neighbors. Yet they must also know when to push their own over-extended civilization into decline and ride a new one to victory!

On each turn, you either use the multiple tiles of your chosen race (type of creatures) to occupy adjacent (normally) territories - possibly defeating weaker enemy races along the way, or you give up on your race letting it go "into decline". A race in decline is designated by flipping the tiles over to their black-and-white side.

At the end of your turn, you score one point (coin) for each territory your races occupy. You may have one active race and one race in decline on the board at the same time. Your occupation total can vary depend on the special abilities of your race and the territories they occupy. After the final round, the player with the most coins wins.

Clarifications: available in a pinned forum post.

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AWARDS & HONORS
2013 Gra Roku Game of the Year Winner
2013 Gra Roku Game of the Year Nominee
2011 Ludoteca Ideale Official Selection Winner
2010 JoTa Best Wargame Nominee
2010 JoTa Best Wargame Critic Award
2010 JoTa Best Wargame Audience Award
2010 JoTa Best Family Board Game Nominee
2010 JoTa Best Family Board Game Critic Award
2010 JoTa Best Family Board Game Audience Award
2010 JoTa Best Artwork Nominee
2010 Guldbrikken Special Jury Prize
2010 Gouden Ludo Nominee
2010 Golden Geek Best Wargame Nominee
2010 Golden Geek Best Strategy Board Game Nominee
2010 Golden Geek Best Family Board Game Nominee
2010 Golden Geek Best Board Game Artwork/Presentation Nominee
2010 Games Magazine Game of the Year Winner
2010 Boardgames Australia Awards Best International Game Nominee
2010 As d'Or - Jeu de l'Année Prix du Jury Winner
2010 As d'Or - Jeu de l'Année Nominee
2009 Tric Trac Nominee
2009 Tric Trac d'Or
2009 Spiel der Spiele Hit für Experten Recommended
2009 Meeples' Choice Award
2009 Japan Boardgame Prize Voters' Selection Nominee
2009 International Gamers Awards - General Strategy; Multi-player Nominee
2009 Golden Geek Best Wargame Nominee
2009 Golden Geek Best Gamers' Board Game Nominee
2009 Golden Geek Best Family Board Game Nominee
2009 Golden Geek Best Board Game Artwork/Presentation Nominee