Concilium Urbis Review: A Tile Placement Game With Player-Driven Laws

Introduction

Concilium Urbis puts players in control of one of six great kingdoms of Infiniton, each building a mining city on the planet Celestia Quazars to extract the valuable mineral Crystalon Celestia. At the end of each year, leaders vote on new laws that govern the planet, changing how each type of tile scores points.

The game combines an I split you choose mechanism with tile placement. Players place tiles in their own grid to score points based on the laws in play. Each round, two new law cards are revealed and voted upon at the end of the round. These laws change how each type of tile scores, either increasing or decreasing its point value.

The changing laws and player-driven voting add an interesting layer to the familiar tile placement formula. The question is whether the execution matches the ambition.

Who This Game Is For

Concilium Urbis suits players who enjoy tile placement games with a meaningful decision layer on top. The I split you choose mechanism is a highlight, and the voting on laws gives players agency over how scoring evolves over the course of seven rounds.

Players who appreciate games where the scoring rules shift and require adapting strategy will find something to enjoy here. The three levels of law cards add complexity, with higher-level cards introducing more intricate scoring methods.

The game also works well for groups of varying sizes, as the seven-round structure keeps playtime consistent regardless of player count.

How Concilium Urbis Plays

Each player starts with an identical starting city tile. In the middle of the table, six law cards are placed, one for each type of city tile in the bag. Each law card has two law updates, and those 12 cards plus two bonus VP cards are shuffled into a face-down deck, with two randomly removed.

Over seven rounds, players draw four tiles from the bag and split them into two groups of two behind their player screens. Both groups are passed to the player next to them, and each player chooses one set to keep. There are no placement rules beyond requiring a tile to share an edge with another city tile, and once placed, tiles cannot be moved.

Tower tiles are the exception, as they can be stacked on top of other tower tiles with no height limit. Mines receive mineral tokens when placed, and these are the only minerals added during the game. Once depleted, a mine stays empty.

In the production phase, factories convert minerals into energy, with each factory having a capacity limit. Players can spend six energy to place a civilization disc on a civilization card for end-of-game scoring.

The Voting Phase

The voting phase is where Concilium Urbis distinguishes itself. Players collect votes from their city, with the starting tile providing two votes and each tower providing one. The two new law cards are then put up for voting.

Players secretly bid a number of votes, which can be zero, and then reveal their bids over the approval or cancellation zones. If a card passes, it covers the point section of the existing law card, but the text at the bottom still applies. If there are more votes on the cancellation side or a tie, the card is discarded.

Vote tokens used during this phase are discarded after each vote, but players can save votes for future rounds to influence upcoming decisions. Bonus cards are awarded to the player who bids the most votes.

This voting layer creates meaningful tension, as players must decide whether to spend votes on immediate gains or save them for more impactful laws later.

Production and Rulebook Concerns

The production quality of Concilium Urbis has several notable issues. The rulebook states that starting tiles have an S on the back for easy identification, but they do not. This makes the first playthrough more difficult, as players must reference a small picture in the rulebook to identify them.

The game includes English and Spanish components, but the mixing is inconsistent. Some player screens are in English while others are in Spanish, and the mine law cards are Spanish on both sides. These issues are not game-breaking but show a lack of attention to detail.

The rulebook itself leaves room for improvement. Scoring for mines is unclear, requiring players to reference the factory scoring section to understand how the star symbol on mine tiles works. Even then, questions remain about whether mines need to be full of minerals to score.

The art and overall look of the game are appealing, with suitably alien artwork. However, the production issues and rulebook clarity problems detract from the experience.

Buying Advice

Concilium Urbis has a solid gameplay loop at its core. The I split you choose mechanism is enjoyable, and the voting on laws adds an interesting twist. The three levels of scoring provide depth, and the seven-round structure keeps the game moving at a good pace.

However, the production issues and rulebook clarity problems are significant drawbacks. The lack of diversity in tiles and laws also limits long-term replayability. Some tiles, such as trees, feel uninteresting compared to the factory and mine combinations.

For players who prioritize gameplay mechanics and enjoy the voting twist, Concilium Urbis may still be worth considering. But for those who value polished production and clear rules, it may be better to look elsewhere.

Conclusion

Concilium Urbis delivers an engaging core loop with its I split you choose mechanism and player-driven law voting. The changing laws keep players adapting their strategies, and the seven-round structure feels well-paced.

The production issues, unclear rulebook, and limited tile and law diversity hold it back from being a standout title. It earns a six out of ten, reflecting solid gameplay undermined by execution problems. Players who enjoy the mechanics may find plenty to appreciate, but the rough edges are hard to ignore.