Every 100 Games Series - Industria

I've fallen behind a bit in these Every 100 Games Series of blogs, but have been noting the game on my phone for later blogging. Well, I'm getting to it right now. The 4,900th game I played was Industria, in a Drury Inn & Suites, on the North East side of Indianapolis. Living the dream.

Game Play
At it's heart Industria is simply an auction game. The start players puts tiles up for bid, the others bid, and people win the tiles which help get them victory points. The theme of the game is getting technologies and buildings from early times all the way to the modern world. Many times you are trying to connect these technologies and buildings as you go from the top of the board down to the bottom of the board where the modern era is located.

Components
I like the board, but the other pieces are just ok. The small cardboard chits show the age of this game, which was made back in 2003. It also has that scoreboard, that instead of going around the board, snakes back and forth. Which makes for easy mistakes. Don't do that kind of score board graphic designers! Other than that, it gives you the stuff you'd expect in a game, so no real complaints there to stop someone from purchasing.

Strategy & Tactics
This game, just like other auction games where the first player chooses what tile to put up for auction, really hinges on choosing the right tile. You've got to time it right so that your opponents pay a premium for what they want to get, while at the same time you pay minimally to gain that economic advantage as the game progresses. There is strategy in planning for the future and making sure you are ready when that next technology comes up, but much of this game I think is on the tactical side of things.

Overall
I've played Industria two times in my life, both plays 5 years apart. I guess that tells you a little bit of my thoughts on the game. I've had access to it for most of those years, but really haven't searched it out. I like the theme of the game, though it is barely there, but I've been left feeling just so/so about the game as a whole. The auctions can be a bit repetitive, which in my mind, is the biggest detractor from the game.

Recommendations
Power Grid Fans - I think you should try this one out and play it. It has a lot of your favorite game in it, but does have a shorter playing time, so I'm guessing that this will be one you could pull out between your marathon Power Grid games on all the different maps.

New Gamers - Stay away from this one. It isn't that the rules are so complicated, but the ebb and flow of the game can be, which I don't think is great for new gamers.

Auction Lovers/Haters - If you spend your weekends in old barns scratching your cheek to indicate you want to bid on that old tractor, then this game is probably for you. All kinds of auctions and all kinds of fun! Though if that sounds horrible to you, well there really isn't anything else, so just avoid this game.