This expansion is an outstanding add-on for Tzolk'in owners! The tribe aspect is great, and provides more "fun factor" by giving each player a unique ability they can use to their advantage throughout the game. These abilities are not overpowering, and there may be some rounds where players elect not to use them. But having these abilities will definitely shape each player's style of play. No particular tribe is greater than the other, but some can be more favorable depending on the game's initial setup and the player's choices for long-term strategies. Careful timing of these advantages can be critical.
The prophecies ultimately become calamities during later rounds, and the experience this provides is equally wonderful. Tzolk'in (out of the gate) was a good game that yielded a neat experience with the placing vs. waiting aspect. Unlike traditional worker placement games that give actions automatically, Tzolk'in is either/or, and forces players to carefully consider the precise timing when placing (or removing) from the gears. It may not have hit the perfect bullseye of game design, but still easily hit the target as a solid game. With this expansion, Tzolk'in now feels like a *complete* masterpiece - giving players more opportunities to score & lose points. Knowing which calamities present themselves in advance allows players to prepare for opportunities early in the game so they don't pay extra costs later.
Combining tribes and prophecies together not only brings a deeper gaming experience, but is also a more balanced design as the scoring methods are no longer heavily skewed toward the temple tracks. It's now possible to neglect the temples entirely and still have a very good chance at winning. Temples are still important as they produce resources and VP's along the way, but the expansion's opportunistic measures allow enough room to where you are no longer required to pay at least SOME attention to the them. With Tribes and Prophecies in place, Tzolk'in now opens the door to many solid options outside the temple path.
The expansion keeps the game "alive" by creating more variety during setup. Each game will present a unique strategic feel with the randomly drawn monuments and prophecy tiles, along with the tribes players select. 349
Each player chooses their tribe and starting wealth tiles AFTER studying the initial setup of the board. AWESOME!!! This aspect is a *huge* part of the game (very much like the character selection in Terra Mystica). What makes this expansion a success is how smoothly it adds depth, variety, complexity, and replayability without changing the "essence" of the game or adding too much playing time (the added depth may cause a little increase but not a lot).
Caveat: The expansion allows for a 5th player along with a "Fast Tile" option. In a 5-player game, the fast tiles are mandatory but are purely optional with 4 or less players. I personally am not overly fond of the fast tiles - mainly because they work against the spirit of the game. They give players a little too much flexibility outside the careful timed planning of worker placement. Obtaining critical resources at the right time is a lot easier with the fast tiles. Not only are 3 of these spots available, but the bigger offense is how they allow IMMEDIATE RETRIEVAL of a player's worker! The beauty of the original game led to agonizing decisions because players were forced to take at least one worker off if they had no more to place. The new "Fast Tiles" aspect makes the core gear mechanism more forgiving since players can virtually do nothing and still "ride the wheel" (waiting for a stronger benefit). Before the expansion, this aspect was rare and nuanced but is more prevalent now. The fast tiles may also cause some A/P among players as they analyze which tiles become active during future rounds.
That being said...
I played my first 5-player game last week, and can easily say the fast tiles are very important to have with 5 players. The extra spaces are critical to prevent overcrowding on the gears, and makes perfect sense (flaws and all) inside a 5 player environment. The time to play with 5 can push the envelope of overstaying its welcome, so expect a minimum of 3+ hours for the first few plays. On that account, I stand by the consensus that 5 players is probably not the best number for Tzolk'in, although I suspect the playtime will improve with experience.
However, playing with 5 is NOT BAD AT ALL! It is *still* a fun challenge, and the addition of a 5th player with the fast tiles does add a fresh and unique dynamic to the game. It's quite good - honestly! I simply prefer playing with 2-4 players without the fast tiles, as the playtime is better and limits the "ride the wheel" capability to just one spot (the start player space). 349