Below is another great article from one of our newer blog contributors, David Waldorf. You can find his previous InsideGMT articles covering Space Empires here. Enjoy! -Rachel

Conquest of Paradise has a unique theme and what feels like a mashup of mechanics from several different genres of games.  In this short series of articles, I’m going to focus on some of those aspects and how they might alter the way you think about the game.  In this first article, as the subtitle suggests, I’m looking at what the game sells itself as: a historical simulation.

You’ll notice that while the rule book calls the game a “historic simulation”, the designer’s notes say it is more of an “archeological simulation” than a historic one.  I think the nuance between these two statements is that the setting of the game is historical, while the simulation aspect is derived from the empire-building mechanics.  Either way, however, this is a simulation game about a period of cultural history that does not get a lot of attention from board game designers and players.  Historical simulation itself is certainly not uncommon, especially when you consider the war game genre, which basically dominates it.  But Conquest of Paradise is not exactly a war game (though I will examine that aspect of it in another article); it is more of an interactive history lesson in a box.

Seriously, if you want to find a fun and interactive introduction to Polynesian history, play the game.  Creative teachers could find a way to use this game in their classrooms, and it would be an excellent homeschooling tool as well.  The designer’s notes contain interesting facts about different events and places that pertain to the game, and could provide a starting place for continued research on the history, culture, and achievements of the Polynesians.  There is even a short annotated bibliography in the rule book!  We need more games like this on the market.

It is important to make a distinction here: this game is not a set of simplistic rules hastily built around a history lesson in an attempt to make learning fun.  I have played “games” of that sort, and from a gamer’s perspective they are categorically miserable.  Conquest of Paradise is first and foremost an enjoyable medium-weight board game—but the designer has put a lot of thought and research into the theme and the supplemental materials.  New players are likely to come away from the game with a greater knowledge of Polynesian history than they had before, whether or not that was their intent going in.  My point is that you can approach this game with the mindset that it is going to be educational.  If you don’t know much (or have forgotten what you once knew) about Polynesia, the game could be a fairly evocative experience the first few times you play it.  Keep the designer’s notes handy and look up the islands as you discover them, as well as the significance of the cards you encounter along the way.  After you have played it a few times this aspect will wear off, but it is something to keep in mind when teaching new players.

That said, the simulation in this game is not perfect.  If you are like me, you will find yourself slipping in and out of a eurogame/victory-point-counting mindset, instead of feeling immersed in a vicarious need to to find more room for your expanding tribe.  Actually, you could play the game solely for its strategic and mechanical elements without even paying attention to the theme, and still enjoy it.  But if you do that, you will be missing what I feel is the major point of this game—the history.  So pull out the designer’s notes if you have forgotten what a certain card means or want to know more about an island group.  Get a feel for what this tropical padise really looks like, and what it is you are trying to tame and conquer.

Author: David Waldorf