As you will probably have read about Lisboa before in other reviews and threads, I will not delve too much into the components, rules etc. of this game. I will rather focus on the way I made myself acquainted with this beautiful game and how I brought the wife to play with me (or "if", I'll leave that open for now).
I picked up my copy of Lisboa at the Eagle Gryphon stand in Essen where we there was just one small table with one game to play and test. You guessed it, it was a Lisboa table, and we could observe a totally absorbed <PERSON> explaining his game to two interested fellow gamers. Basically, he was talking and talking, shifting cubes, showing cards, putting stuff to playmats, removing other stuff etc. It was clear that this would not be an easy one.
After about 15 minutes when I had already paid and bought my copy we could get his attention and I got my personally signed Lisboa game!
Off home I went and I started to think about this one. Vital gave me and other bystanders two messages:
1. The game takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to play. The first game rather takes 4 hours.
2. Read the flavour texts in the rulebook!
Ok, the second message will not be an issue. I already knew a good deal about the setting and history of the Lisboa earthquake 1755. The historic setting was one main reason why I bought this game at all. It just looked unique in the board game landscape, since it dealt with a concrete event from the past in a very detailed and true way (compare this to a pseudo-medieval background of Castles of Burgundy or some abstract historic theme like Hansa Teutonica or Stone Age). But message no. 1 could be a problem. How do I get the wife to play a game that will take 4 hours? And what do we do with the little kid in those 4 hours? My wife plays with me, but she rather enjoys lighter games. She actually loves playing <PERSON>. How do I bring her from a 15-minute cat-feeding game to a 4-hour earthquake simulation that spans 22 years?
So here is how I tried to solve the problem.
Step 1: Learn the rules.
The day after buying the game before breakfast I unpacked it, sorted all tiles and prepared the game for the first (solo) play. 118
I read the rules (ok, I skipped the flavour text for now, I confess. Please see step 2, Vital!). Oh, but what a pleasure! To smell a new game is always something special, but this one has exquisite components. Things are well-thought-of, sturdy cardboard, great player mats, beautiful board, nice inlays, a player aid book for each player! Well, I had expected that a bit, but nothing prepares for all the details and the moment when you finally see and feel it.
Until I had identified all parts, gone through the setup instructions, read the special 2-player instructions etc. more than half an hour had passed. Then I dealt myself the first five cards and wondered: And now what do I do? Exploring the first action took another good deal of time. Then came Lacerda's moves whose rules you need to learn in addition. Well, my hosts woke up and I had to pack it all again.
Next day the same scenario: Woke up before breakfast, unpacked the game and prepared for the first play. The good message was that setup was a lot faster now that I knew what to do. Then came the first moves. How exactly does this work? I only completed a couple of turns then time was over and breakfast on the table. Well, but this one got me intrigued. So much stuff going on! And surely it won't be as complicated as it looked now!
Going home from Essen gave me the chance to schedule some time for the first solo play. Setup was already smooth now, so I could concentrate on the flow of the game. How does Lacerda play exactly? Well, in solo play you are in control of the game and Lacerda just gathers points each turn cycling through all possible actions and thus placing stores and buildings, taking decrees etc. Since I didn't play to win this didn't matter too much. I played my first cards, built a ship, produced some, built stores, and after the first half of the game I had the feeling I already got an understanding of how this works and indeed, gameplay is not that complicated. I didn't pretend to be able to work out some point-maximising strategy or how to play Lacerda, but I felt confident that I knew how this game works.
Summary: Before you play this game with others, play it on your own, read the rules and understand how the actions work. I am quite good at memorising rules. 386