The Bridges of Shangri-La

What is The Bridges of Shangri-La

In Shangri-La, the mysterious and isolated utopia nestled high in the mountains, a strange struggle for dominance has begun. Once peaceful and neighborly, the Masters of the competing mountain-folk train their students and send them out across bridges to control neighboring villages. To take control of a village, the students must come together in uncomfortable alliances, regardless of their tribal origin. Eventually students become Masters themselves, train new students and expand to other villages.

There is one thing each student must keep in mind as they travel from village to village -- the mystical powers of Shangri-La mysteriously cause the bridges to collapse, separating villages forever. One crucial question will decide the winner: who will control the most Masters of Shangri-La?

Players take on the roles of leaders of a specific tribe. There is a battle raging over the empty villages of the land and players must quickly fill those villages with their tribal leaders. As players migrate tribal leaders from one village to the next, they must not become too weak or they risk losing leaders to opposing tribes. The ultimate object of the game is to have the most leaders on the board at the end of the game.

It is an abstract game with many options and tense until the end.

Game details

Players

3–4

Age

+10

Duration

60 min

Difficulty

Medium

Type

Board game

Year

2003

Mechanics

Area Majority / Influence · Map Reduction · Point to Point Movement

Categories

Abstract Strategy · Mythology · Novel-based

Designer

Leo Colovini

Publisher

KOSMOS · 999 Games · Überplay · Play For Keeps