The Palaces of Carrara (2012)

About this game

In The Palaces of Carrara, players want to buy the marble from this famous region of Italy as cheaply as possible – but any reduction in price will benefit opponents as well. Maybe you'll find it profitable to instead invest in the buildings created from this marble? Maybe it'll be more worthwhile to grab the expensive raw material when bigger buildings in town turn out to be not so lucrative? The game includes two levels of play: beginner and advanced. Co-designer Wolfgang Kramer says, "To understand the game, it's important that players play the beginner version to learn the game mechanisms and how they mesh together."

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 4.
• Rules load. At 2.6/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 10 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.