BoardGame Verdict
87

Le Havre is a strategy board game about the development of the French port town of Le Havre. Players take goods such as fish and wood from the wharves and use resources to build ships and buildings to gain the most wealth. The game features worker placement mechanics with resource management and city building elements.

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87

The Verdict

based on 18 reviews

Positive 0%
Negative 0%
Deep strategic gameplay with a focus on resource conversion and engine building.
Simple and streamlined turn structure that is easy to learn but offers complex choices.
High replayability due to the variable setup of buildings in each game.
A well-balanced design that includes different setups for various player counts and game lengths.
The pressure to feed workers is considered less punishing than in other comparable games by the same designer.
Prone to "analysis paralysis," where players can take a long time to decide on their turn due to the multitude of options.
The game doesn't scale well with higher player counts, with many critics recommending it for two or three players.
The initial setup can be time-consuming due to the large number of small components.
Text and iconography on the building cards can be difficult to read from across the table.
95
Board Game Hangover, JoshVideo

The reviewer highly recommends Le Havre, giving it a 9.5 out of 10 for its excellent mechanics, particularly the varied turn order and the consistent quality of available actions, though it can lead to some analysis paralysis due to the depth of strategic choices.

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95
GameosityArticle

“Gameosity highly praises "Le Havre" as a spectacular, strategic, and methodical engine-building game, noting its improvements over "Agricola" and considering it the reviewer's absolute favorite Uwe Rosenberg title. The review strongly recommends adding it to one's collection.”

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95
Chairman of the Board, Josh (Chairman of the Board)Video

The reviewer enthusiastically recommends Le Havre, giving it a near-perfect score due to its engaging mechanics, particularly the varied number of turns per round and the abundance of meaningful choices. They appreciate the strategic depth the game offers, with the only notable drawback being the potential for players to overthink their turns due to the many good options available.

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95
Board Game Reviews by Josh, JoshArticle

“The reviewer highly recommends Le Havre, particularly for fans of similar strategy games like Puerto Rico and Agricola, praising its unique turn structure and overall balanced design, despite the potential for players to take a long time to make decisions.”

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90
Shut Up & Sit Down, AvaArticle

“Ava describes Le Havre as a potentially perfect resource shuffling game, praising its intricate decisions and possibilities that unfold throughout gameplay, making it possibly her favorite Uwe Rosenberg title.”

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90
The Dicey Review, The Dicey ReviewVideo

The reviewer highly praises Le Havre as a winning game, highlighting its accessible and enjoyable engine-building mechanics, and considers it the most appealing title within Uwe Rosenberg's "Harvest Trilogy" due to its balanced gameplay that offers depth without constant pressure.

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90
ThinkerThemer, Pat and GlaiVideo

The game provides a consistently positive experience with many satisfying actions and strategic options, making players feel good about their choices throughout the game.

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90
Victory ConditionsArticleTop List

“If you like a deep, resource management strategy game, Le Havre is a good addition to your collection. It starts out slow, but soon your options will multiply and you’ll have free choice on how to maximize your profits.”

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90
When Harry Met Board Games, Harry (When Harry Met Board Games)Video

Harry considers 'Le Havre' a cherished and highly-regarded heavy Euro game by Uwe Rosenberg, noting its strong community reception and personal favoritism among his collection.

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90
3 Minute Board Games, Stephanie RodgersVideo

The reviewer finds 'Le Havre' to be a highly enjoyable game despite often losing, highlighting its fun and engaging nature as a worker placement and engine-building experience.

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90
Rahdo Runs Through, RahdoVideo

The reviewer highly regards "Le Havre" as an amazing game with an incredible sense of scale and elegant, simple mechanics that lead to a complex and rich simulation. While he notes minor drawbacks such as a sometimes repetitive endgame and the near-mandatory family growth strategy, he still considers it one of the best board games available.

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90
slickerdrips, slickerdripsVideo

The reviewer considers Le Havre a fantastic and strategically deep game, particularly praising the player interaction around buildings and resource management, although noting that the solo experience, while still good, may not fully capture the game's core interactive element.

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90
The Dice Tower, Tom VaselVideo

Tom Vasel considers "Le Havre" a great and enduring game that has remained a favorite in his collection, particularly praising its excellent gameplay with two or three players and the added replayability provided by special edition cards.

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85
The Broken Meeple, The Broken MeepleVideo

The reviewer finds Le Havre to be a very strong heavy euro game, particularly excelling at one to three players due to its engaging engine building and resource management. However, he strongly advises against playing with four or five players due to significantly increased playtime and downtime, which ultimately led to the game just missing his personal top 100 list.

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85
Before You Play, Before You PlayVideo

The video highlights 'Le Havre' as a significant and generally well-regarded title within Uwe Rosenberg's body of work, suggesting it is a noteworthy game appreciated by the reviewers.

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80
BoardGameBollocksVideo

Le Havre is an excellent worker placement and engine-building game that excels with three players, offering deep strategic options. However, the reviewer notes that the game becomes overly complex and less enjoyable at higher player counts due to an unmanageable number of buildings and unclear iconography.

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75
Meeple MountainArticle

“In Le Havre, a player's turn consists of two parts: First, distribute newly supplied goods onto the offer spaces; then take an action.”

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30
calandale, calandaleVideo

The reviewer, Calandale, presented a highly critical perspective on Le Havre, with some viewers finding his analysis of the game to be shortsighted.

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