WBG Score: 8/10
Player Count: 1-4
You’ll like this if you like: Euphoria, Alien Frontiers, The White Castle.
Published by: B.A. Games
Designed by: Sam Stockton
This is a free review copy. See our review policy here.
Forges of Ravenshire came to Kickstarter in 2023 and attracted over 1,000 backers with its intriguing mix of dice worker placement and contract fulfilment. I always think with cover art like this, the game is going to go one of two ways. Either in the direction of a game like Everdell and be a huge hit, or, to be polite, in another direction! So, the question is, which way does this game go? Well, if you want to find out, you are in the right place. Let's get it to the table and find out.
How To Set Up Forges of Ravenshire
First, place the main board into the centre of the table. Then place the Season Tracker on the first Spring space at the top left of the board. Now roll two of each coloured dice and randomly place one of each onto the leftmost spots of each of the six areas on the board.
Now separate the three types of Guild Member Tokens into individual piles and position them above the Guild Halls on the top right of the board. Next, select the top two tokens from each Guild and place them face up beneath their respective columns on the board itself. Mix up the Title Cards and uncover cards equal to the total number of players plus one, discarding any remaining cards. Now shuffle the three Contract Decks marked level one, two, and three separately and place them next to the board. Then take the top three cards of each deck and place them face up next to their corresponding decks. Place the Coins, Action Tokens, and Mystic Tokens next to the board.
Each player now chooses a player board and places it in front of them along with their upgrade tokens, reference cards, and cubes in their chosen colour to track each of their goods, starting with one of each. Then position the Player Tokens for each character chosen to be in the game onto the space farthest to the left on the Reputation Track at the bottom left of the main board. Take one die of each colour along with four Gold and one Action Token.
Each player then takes three level one contract cards and chooses to keep one face-up, placing the other two at the bottom of the deck. Then, if you are playing with the optional Assistant cards, each player now takes one of these cards at random, taking with it any additional dice if required. All players roll their dice, keeping them with the faces shown, and the player who rolled the highest combined total takes the first player token, You are now ready to play.
How To Play Forges of Ravenshire
Forges of Ravenshire is played out over four seasons, tracked by the Season token on the top left of the board. Each season has three phases: Gathering, Production, and an End of Season Phase. During each phase there are also multiple free actions players can take. Let's go through the main phases first.
During the Gathering Phase, players will take turns placing one of their dice onto the main board onto any available space and taking the associated action, and then taking another die back into their possession from the board, again taking the action linked to this die. The number on the die determines the actions and resources the players will gain from their actions. The die they take back then triggers one of the Guilds on their player board.
When you place a die, you can do so into any open space, gaining the Goods, Mystic Tokens, and any actions shown at the District where you placed your die. Each District has two spaces. When they are full of Dice, you can no longer place dice there. Players will need to remove them to create new spaces. The number of the Die you place affects the efficiency of the turn when placing a die in each area. For example, in the Sharprock Mountains space on the top left of the board (shown above), if you place a one or a two, you will gain two Ore and one Mithril, whereas a three or a four will get you just two Ore, and a five or six will get you just one Ore. All the spaces generate resources, apart from the Guild Halls space, which lets you recruit a Guild Member and either gain a Good or a Mystic (fancy goods!) of your choice. Taking a Guild Member allows you to upgrade your player board to make your Guild action more powerful.
When players have placed a die and taken the necessary actions at that location, they must then remove one die, again gaining the benefits shown there as indicated by the number of the die they took. You can take any die back, other than the one you just placed. This die is placed onto your Player Board in the matching colour Guild Column on the left of your player board. This is the only time colour matters. Be sure to keep the die showing the same number as the one shown when you took it. You can now complete all actions available to that Guild, in any order. This guild will be developed as the game runs on by gaining new Guild Members by placing or taking dice from the Guild Hall space on the main board.
Players will do this in turn until all three dice have been placed, and three other dice gathered and returned to one of their three Guilds. Players then proceed to the Production phase, during which they will place dice on the Production Side of their Player Board, fulfil Contracts, utilise the Market Exchange, and expend Action Tokens and Gold to construct upgrades. These actions can be carried out in any sequence preferred by the players. This phase is conducted by all players simultaneously.
To do this, take the three dice you gathered during the last phase and place them into any of the spaces on the Production spaces on the right side of your board. Be sure to keep the numbers shown on the dice when you gather them as you do this. Then, claim the benefit linked to the space where you placed the die. This is either allowing you to run one of your Guilds one more time, gain two Action Tokens, Reputation, or goods such as Ore, Goods, Mystics, or Gold. Or convert Wood to Charcoal. Or finally gain Steel, Charcoal, or Mithril. These areas have the potential to be upgraded in their efficiency during the game, and one of the starting Assistant cards does this for you from the start of the game.
Play then moves to the final phase where players will check the Title cards dealt during setup to see if anyone has met their requirements. If so, they gain the benefits shown, and the card is rotated so the next player gains the secondary benefit (less cash!). Then, refresh the board for the next round, moving the Guild member tokens down, taking the bottom row off the board, and filling up the top row from the piles next to the board. Move the Round tracker one space to the right onto the next season space. Then pass the first player token to the next player, and everyone rolls their dice used during the last Production phase in front of them, ready for the next Gathering round.
During these phases, players can exchange the Action tokens to take a new contract from the face-up supply. Only contracts in front of players can be completed. You must own it first before you can finish the card. Completed contracts will earn you multiple benefits, namely goods and money. When you complete a contract, gain the benefit and then place it into one of three spaces to the right of your player board. Two of the three spaces require payment, but then give you a benefit. One is a free space. Completing contracts is one great way to move up the Reputation track during the game and gain big Gold rewards.
You can also use Action tokens to refresh the available contracts on any row before you take a new card. They can also be used to recruit new Guild members, and along with the required resources, build upgrades to your player board. Upgrades either allow you to hold more Guild Member tokens or make your production or conversion of goods more efficient.
Play four rounds and then after the fourth season, all players will take the gold shown on the space their token on the Reputation track occupies. You can convert any Mystic resources or Action tokens into gold. Add this to the gold you earned during the game. Most gold wins!
Is It Fun? Forges of Ravenshire Board Game Review
Forges of Ravenshire has captivated me with its interesting blend of mechanics. Dice worker placement, engine building, and resource management fuse into an intriguing game that is just fun to play. Each turn, players roll and place dice on the board, creating an ever-changing system of resource management where the dice act as workers with varying strengths and abilities. What you place, and where you place it, dictates what you will get this round. What you need will be largely dictated by which Contracts you have acquired. When you get what you need for each Contract, gain the benefits, then go again there is a real sense of achievement, and this happens most rounds, at least once. Sometimes more. There is a procedural nature to all this that can seem flat initially as the game is a little repetitive. But ultimately, this game delivers huge satisfaction as you play. More so, as you become more efficient with your turns. Despite doing the same thing each turn, what you are doing is fun. It looks nice. It feels nice. And if offers something most gamers love. Resource management, contract fulfillment, and points, lots of points!
The game seamlessly integrates these mechanics along with tableau building, because everything matters. You can expand your personal board with upgrades, Guild tokens, and efficiency enhancements. Effective resource management through all this is essential, as gathering and spending resources efficiently to craft goods (complete contracts) drives both your engine, but more importantly, Gold production; the scoring in the game. This combination creates a rich, strategic experience where every decision matters and impacts your long-term goals.
One of the standout features of Forges of Ravenshire is the exciting combo opportunities, where you can chain multiple actions together during a turn. The ability to trigger free actions in between turns—like gaining or completing tasks, upgrading your player board, or converting some resources without spending dice—makes the gameplay far more engaging than first expected. You can often do just that little bit more than you first thought. These combos are not only fun and satisfying but also create moments of high strategy as you plan how to maximize your actions. Stringing together these free actions with your main turn creates a sense of accomplishment as you complete more and more contracts and keeps the game feeling fast-paced and fluid, adding layers of depth to every move.
Despite its potential initial complexity, the game is surprisingly easy to learn and play, striking a perfect balance between accessibility and strategic depth. Turns are quick and streamlined, with simple mechanics that new players can pick up quickly. Place a die, gather resources. Take a die, do the same. However, the game still offers a satisfying crunchiness as you navigate resource decisions, optimise your dice placements, and build up your tableau. And each turn you will get new resources. You will constantly be building up your engine and little pot of stuff. It's wildly satisfying to constantly grow your collection of stuff!
This balance between ease of play and engaging strategy makes Forges of Ravenshire an enjoyable and deeply charming experience, providing a rewarding play that feels strategic and fun with each game.
This is just the basic version, but the components are well produced, with double-layer player boards, and thick, cut-out spaces on the main board for the dice. Nothing moves or gets displaced as you play. And everything just looks and feels nice. The game also comes with two very handy trays for the resources, that also make set-up and tear down a breeze. The box insert is also very well designed and when packed away - which is easily done - everything remains in place, tidy, and ready for your next game. A superb production.
This is the perfect mid-weight gateway plus style game for anyone looking to take their next step into gaming after the basic intro games that exist on the market. I would rank this alongside games such as Wingspan and Clank as being the perfect game to have in your collection to try to encourage people who have tried a few basic card or party games, and want to try something a little bit more meaty.
Forges of Ravenshire has a lovely delicate weight to it that satisfies new gamers in this way, but also offers something for more experienced players to sink their teeth into. I worry a little about replayability over time, as the game could become a little too procedural for experienced gamers. I wonder how this could be remedied with any future expansions. The current Assistant cards go some way to offer this now, but there are only eight. More of these would be an easy mini expansion to develop this game further. I would also like to see more exaggerated asymmetry brought in with any new Assistant cards, and maybe even some level four contract cards (it currently goes up to three). But as is, this is a great game that will entertain you for multiple games, and could well be that stepping stone experience you were looking for to convert some more friends!