Foundations of Metropolis Components Overview and Impressions

Foundations of Rome looked like a phenomenal game, but ultimately it was a 50-60 dollar experience packaged in a few hundred dollar box. It was grossly overpriced for what it was, although priced exactly right for the components included in the box. Arcane Wonders has released the exact same game, but in a smaller box using cardboard bits. At under $60, you can now own a fabulous game, but at what cost to the production?

Thankfully, I can say at no cost! Arcane Wonders produces fantastic games, and Foundations of Metropolis is no exception. True, there are not any plastic models in this game to represent the buildings, but you are not paying for that either. There is a ton of cardboard though, and per Arcane Wonders quality, it’s all top notch.

What’s most impressive here, however, are the player trays. Getting this game to the table and ready to play is incredibly easy thanks to the fantastic player trays (boards). Not only do they have spots for all the different buildings you might be building out during the game, the iconography is fantastic so you always know what certain buildings might do or give you.

Further, everything goes back onto the player board before putting it away, so take down is as easy as setup here! More games need to have these “ready to play” player board situations. There is an added cost as the player boards generally need to be dual layered to make that work, but it’s such a game changer and makes playing specific games so much more enjoyable. For me, especially, the faster the game sets up, the more likely I am to play it.

I also love that the player boards have their own tray to go in as well, so you don’t have to be worried about pieces shifting as you play. You can even shelve this one on its side without issue, which is really great as well.

Overall, I think Arcane Wonders has done a phenomenal job with this production, and I cannot wait to get this to the table to play. I really wanted Foundations of Rome when it launched, but it was too expensive for me. To get a cost effective, yet still phenomenal copy of the game this way is a huge plus! Kudos to you, Arcane Wonders!