Hatu Matu: Chief of Easter Island (2006)

About this game

Players are vying for recognition and to be named Hatu Matu: Chief of Easter Island. Players must recruit islanders to act as Fisherman, Laborers, Farmers, Craftsman, or Foresters. They use the resources produced or harvested from the island to gain status by erecting statues on Easter Island. Alas, just as with the real Easter Island, players slowly deforest the island and bring about the collapse of their society. In the final analysis, though, what matters is who has the most statues left behind... Each game includes player boards representing one of four tribes, tokens for population and roles, as well as goods, and dice. Also included is an event deck for use in resolving (auctioning, deal-making, and negotiation) resource or disaster allocation.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 3 to 4.
• Rules load. At 2.3/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 12 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.