Medici (1995)

“The game is great. Everything you could want from a mid-1990s Euro: light on rules, heavy on interpersonal interaction and strategy, and quick enough to play in well under an hour once people know the rules.”

The reviewer highly recommends Medici, praising it as a great and timeless game that is easy to teach, quick to play, and offers engaging gameplay with excellent replayability across different player counts, despite minor visual inconsistencies with the artwork.

“Gameosity considers Medici an excellent and solid filler game, deserving of its classic status, despite minor criticisms regarding its non-existent theme and a hard-to-read score track.”

“Medici is a classic auction-style board game designed by Reiner Knizia, known for its strategic bidding and set collection mechanics. The game is well-regarded for its ability to accommodate various player counts effectively.”

“A lot of roll and write games come in this house and get played, and a lot of them leave the house almost as quick. Medici The Dice Game has earned a spot on permanent shelves, hopefully we have enough score sheets for our continued plays.”

Rahdo praises Medici as an amazing and phenomenal game that lives up to its classic status, noting its incredibly well-designed and fast-paced gameplay, especially with higher player counts.

The reviewer highly recommends Medici as a simple yet engaging and fast-paced auction game that offers a fun push-your-luck experience, making it a great filler despite potential repetitiveness once players grasp the meta-game.

“It’s a blast, and a good entry in any collection, especially this edition which is beautiful to look at and won’t push new players away due to poor graphic design.”

The reviewer praises "Medici" as a timeless and exciting classic auction game that everyone should play, despite the latest edition being primarily an aesthetic update that missed opportunities for new variants or player powers.

“GamesRadar+ praises "Medici" as a classic board game that skillfully combines strategic depth for enthusiasts with accessible mechanics for casual players, particularly excelling in its dynamic auctions and fast-paced gameplay with a full table of six.”

“Overall, Medici is a great game that has stood the test of time. It’s become a favourite in our household, because it’s so easy to teach, quick to set up, fun throughout and plays pretty quickly.”

“Medici is one of the best games I’ve played, and it finally looks like it. This is the capstone to a great year of Knizia reprints.”

The reviewer found Medici: The Card Game to be a really nice, fast-paced game that effectively evokes the feel of the original Medici board game without its sometimes slow auction mechanics. He generally likes it, despite finding it a bit dry.

The reviewer finds 'Medici vs Strozzi' to be a well-executed and tense two-player auction game, particularly appealing to fans of math-focused and auction-style board games. While it might not suit everyone due to its 'math puzzle' nature, those who enjoy Reiner Knizia's other auction games are likely to enjoy this one.

“Medici is a classic board game that still kicks butt today. Having to weigh up whether you want to be the best merchant, or get the goods you want is sometimes a heartbreaking decision. But even then it’s still a great deal of fun.”

The reviewer finds Medici to be a very good and accessible auction game that excels at what it sets out to do, making it enjoyable and easy to get to the table with various player counts. However, they note that the game might feel a bit limited for those seeking more strategic depth or variety, sometimes devolving into a straightforward math problem with some 'mean moments'.

The reviewer describes Medici as a straightforward auction and bidding game where players manage money and victory points, highlighting its interesting auction dynamics and optimal experience with higher player counts. While acknowledging its classic design, the overall prognosis for the game was fair.

The reviewer acknowledges 'Medici' as a classic and well-designed auction game by Reiner Knizia, highlighting its streamlined gameplay. However, they personally found it to be a 'one-trick pony' with a bland theme that ultimately left them wanting more, leading them to 'purge' it from their collection as it didn't hold up as well for them as it might for others.