At Rossio

A game new in the collection, which is also, literally, a new game, as it has just been released. In this occasion, and in contrast to what is more usual, the opening of the box did not reveal a new world to discover, in the form of boards and cards, tokens and rules. I did not have to discover it, at least not entirely, since I have already been there, and I have shared a small part of the way, during its making.

It all might have started even before I knew it had. At the time, it could have been just one more of those Facebook message exchanges, about games, the testing of ideas and prototypes and, if I correctly recall, my curiosity and interest in documenting the creative process behind boardgame designs. 

On the other side of the network was Orlando Sá, someone who I only knew by name, especially as author of Porto, a well-received game, both in Portugal and abroad.

As it frequently happens with so many of these interactions, no further development was in the horizon. I went back to the writings on this blog, the projects of rulebook translations and proofreading, the games, the search for partnerships. 

But this time, it was different. Later on, on November the 23rd, I received a message from Orlando, recalling that virtual conversation, and asking if I would be interested in take part in the tests of a brand new game, already in the final stages of development!

Needless to say, the answer was “Yes. Of course. For sure!”. A few questions and prompt answers were all it took to set the stage: the material required for the tests, the number of players, the desired focus, and the deadline to send contributions. 

And so, I jumped from Porto, which I have not played yet ... to Rossio. From North to South. From the Riberia’ facades to this main Square in Lisbon. In both cases, very Portuguese, thematically.

Afterwards, I receive the files containing the parts for the main board, the player boards, the cards and pieces, the rules. In versions yet to be finished, waiting for the illustrator’s work. Print, cut, and glue. Learning the rules. Discover the play flow, solo at first, since one of the objectives was to test the automaton that would serve as an opponent for one player games. Then, at two or three player counts. Record results, take note of doubts, identify difficulties, describe strategies, photograph positions, register scores, formulate suggestions. Send. Repeat. 

A collaboration that mainly took place during December 2019 and January 2020. Once completed, the rest of the design and production process followed its path. The formal launch event, and a face-to-face meeting, was scheduled for Leiria Con 2020. But in the meantime, the world was changing. Meetings were firstly suspended, then cancelled. The projects were rescheduled, across continents, not least because many bears the brand "Made in China”. 

Fortunately, it successfully crossed the finish line, and this game is now available in a store, with bookshelves, near you, or in a store, also with shelves, that you cannot see, but which is within reach of a couple of clicks. And Rossio is also here, no longer as a cardboard sketch version, but the real deal!

It is then, when we open the box, that we come across the master stonemasons, with beard and mustache, characters full of expression, with the life given by the trait of Olivier Fagnère. Four artisans, that are essential to draw the different motifs on the pavement, each one associated with a different colour, with different cost patterns and different values.

The main square is a space for everyone, and its pavement is jointly built by all players. But event in this communal space, the competition rules, you are in a race to be the best. Should you raise money or recruit stonemasons, which will enable you able to score valuable or repeated patterns? Should you do it early in the game, when the square is barely decorated, or wait until a later stage? Should you quickly enlarge the pavement or bet only on some features? Those are your choices, gentlemen.

It is a matter of breaking stone, managing money, choosing the location for each tile in the pavement, measuring time, taming ambition. There are small changes available, enabling you to customize the level of difficulty, suiting different tastes. In this square that increases in length to accommodate more players. For two to four persons.

We might even call in the noble ones, for those wanting to add a dash of diversity to the normal unwinding of the game. These are nobles without party, without preferred color, interested only in more or less far-fetched patterns.

And then, we meet Ross again, our opponent for solo play. It is unclear whether the name denounces a relation to the English aristocracy, whether it will be a derivation of “Ruço” (one way to refer to someone with blond hair in Portuguese), or a mere nickname. What you may take for granted is that he is a difficult opponent, so you would better start in the easiest levels.

Now you might want to give Rossio a try, this game designed by Orlando Sá, and edited by Pythagoras Games, Portugal, from the 2020 batch.