Discworld: Ankh-Morpork review

Discworld: Ankh-Morpork

Discworld: Ankh-Morpork was published in 2011 by Treefrog Games. The game was designed by Martin Wallace. Illustrations in the game were done by Peter Dennis, Paul Kidby, Ian Mitchell, and Bernard Pearson.

Discworld: Ankh-Morpork belongs to the Discworld games family. This series is based on Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Universe. It also includes Clacks: A Discworld Board Game, Guards! Guards! A Discworld Boardgame, The Witches: A Discworld Game, Watch Out: Discworld Board Game, and Koom Valley Thud.

Game Components

  • Full-color rules
  • 1 blue 12-sided die (8 is replaced with 7a in the Collector’s and Deluxe Editions)
  • 4 player aid cards
  • 1 full-color map of Ankh-Morpork (22.5″ x 17″ (570 mm x 430 mm) – in the Standard Edition and 25.5″ x 22″ (645 mm x 560 mm) – in Collector’s and Deluxe Editions)
  • 132 cards (card size 59 mm x 92 mm)
  • 7 personality cards
  • 12 random event cards
  • 101 game cards
    • 48 green cards
    • 53 brown cards
  • 12 city area cards
  • 91 playing pieces
    • Red, yellow, green, and blue painted wooden pieces – in the Standard and Collector’s Editions
    • Red, orange, green, and white resin pieces in Deluxe Edition
      • 48 minions (12 per player color)
      • 4 demon markers
      • 24 buildings (6 per player color)
      • 12 trouble markers
      • 3 troll markers
  • 52 Coins
  • Wooden coins in the Collectors and Deluxe Editions
    • 35 silver $1 coins
    • 17 gold $5 coins
  • Cardboard coins in the Standard Edition
  • 1 poster with all characters and the box art (in the Collector’s and Deluxe Editions)

Card List

  • Drumknott
  • The Royal Mint
  • Mrs. Cake
  • Mr. Bent / The Bank of Ankh-Morpork
  • The Thieves’ Guild / Mr. Boggis
  • Wallace Sonky
  • Fire Brigade
  • Fool’s Guild / Dr. Whiteface
  • Harry King
  • Zorgo the Retrophrenologist
  • Foul Ole Ron
  • Sergeant Angua
  • Rosie Palm / Seamstresses’ Guild
  • Nobby Nobbs
  • Shonky Shop
  • Leonard of Quirm / Librarian
  • History Monks
  • Hex
  • Gaspode
  • Pink Pussycat Club
  • The Opera House / The Dysk
  • Harga’s House of Ribs / Gimlet’s Dwarf Delicatessen
  • Modo
  • Here’n’Now
  • The Agony Aunts
  • CMOT Dibbler
  • Queen Molly
  • Beggar’s Guild
  • Inigo Skimmer
  • Dr Cruces
  • The Ankh-Morpork Sunshine Dragon Sanctuary
  • Sachrissa Cripslock
  • Rincewind
  • The Duckman
  • Captain Carrot
  • Mr. Pin & Mr. Tulip
  • Mr. Gryle
  • Groat
  • The Peeled Nuts

Gameplay

Ankh-Morpork is a game for two to four people. It is set in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, in its largest and smelliest city – Ankh-Morpork. Lord Vetinari, who ruled the city, has disappeared. Now, various factions (that is you and your friends) are on quests of fighting for the power. The interesting twist in the game is that every character has their own victory conditions and you might not know what it is exactly that your pals are trying to achieve with their actions.

There is a large map – the game board. Players place their minions and buildings on it. The main mechanism in the game is card use. All the actions are dictated by cards.

There is an important feature in the game – trouble markers. When two minions of different colors happen to be on the same area, a trouble marker is placed there. It means that an assassination can happen and you cannot build in the area. When the conflict is ruled out, the trouble marker goes away.

Discworld Ankh-Morpork - Map

Setup

Players choose their colors. When you know your color, look for your minions and buildings. Place one of your minions in The Scours, The Shades, and Dolly Sisters. Each of these areas also gets one trouble marker.

At the beginning of the game, you have ten Ankh-Morpork dollars.

Everybody is dealt one personality card. You keep it secret from the rest because it has victory conditions that work only for you. Your job is to hide your personality from other players while trying to guess theirs – it will help you with the game.

Discworld Ankh-Morpork - Gameplay

Shuffle the random event cards.

Player cards are separated into two decks of different colors: green and brown. The green deck goes on top of the brown one. Each player is dealt five cards.

If there are just two players in the game, remove Chrysoprase from personality cards and remove Hubert and Cosmos Lavish cards from the draw pile.

Discworld Ankh-Morpork - Early game

Board Game Rules

On your turn, choose a card to play. Follow its instructions. Some cards have more than one action. You may choose to do one or more actions. Some actions imply that you take another card. It means that actions can be chained.

After you have finished, you take enough cards from the draw pile to have at least five cards in your hand – if you have more, that’s fine.

Players continue taking turns until one of the three conditions is met: either a player says that they have won (depending on their personality card), the Riot card is drawn and all its conditions are met, or the draw pile is exhausted. In case this happens, if there is a player who is Commander Vimes then this player wins, otherwise the player with the most points wins.

Discworld Ankh-Morpork - Pieces

Different actions:

  • Place a minion
  • Place a building
  • Assassination
  • Remove one trouble marker
  • Take money
  • Scroll
  • Random event
  • Play another card
  • Interrupt

Download PDF rules here.

Similar Games

Discworld: Ankh-Morpork vs Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons and Dragons

Ankh-Morpork may be inspired by one of the cities from Dungeons & Dragons, a cult cooperative dungeon crawler. If you’re a fantasy fan, it might be another hit in your collection.

FAQ

Q: What about solo play for Discworld: Ankh-Morpork?

A: There is no official rules set for Discworld: Ankh-Morpork solo, but you can find some ideas in this thread. One of the best things about Discworld: Ankh-Morpork is guessing what personalities your opponents have, which is something that is going to get lost if you play solo.

Q: Are there apps to play Discworld: Ankh-Morpork on iOS and Android?

A: Yes, there are Discworld: Ankh-Morpork applications that you can play both on iOS and Android.

Q: How does controlling an area happen in the game?

A: To control an area, you have to have more pieces (any pieces) in the area in question than your friends.

Q: Does Discworld: Ankh-Morpork have any expansions?

A: No, it doesn’t. However, you can enjoy other games of the Discworld series.

Q: Is there online gameplay for Discworld: Ankh-Morpork?

A: No, there isn’t, but you can play the iOS digital version.

YouTube

Conclusion

Discworld: Ankh-Morpork is a true delight for fans of Terry Pratchett. On the game cards, you will find all your beloved characters. As for the rules, they are really simple to master: you just take cards and follow what they advise you.

It’s very easy to enjoy this beautiful and engaging game. During the whole gaming process, you won’t know who your friends are, as they won’t reveal their personalities to you. So, you won’t have any idea who you are playing against, just keep guessing! The victory may come as a surprise.

Discworld: Ankh-Morpork is a game that could suit a friendly party or a family gaming evening. What some people may not like about the game is the major luck element. Your success in the game depends on your draw of cards. So, if you like games with well-crafted strategies, then this is probably not for you.

Buy Discworld: Ankh-Morpork on Amazon.

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