Village is a timeless classic that has retained its charm since its publication in 2011.
The recently released Big Box edition of Village provides the perfect solution for those who want a complete collection. With two big box expansions and a couple of mini-expansions, gathering all the content for this game was not the most convenient task previously. However, the Big Box edition not only consolidates everything published for the game into one box but also introduces the Marriage expansion as a valuable addition.
The Base Game
Village offers a unique approach to action selection and worker placement. Players take turns collecting cubes of different colors from various action spaces, which correspond to different optional actions. The collected cubes, along with other goods in the game, serve as resources for performing actions.
One of the most interesting aspects of the game is the use of time as a resource. Each player has a time track and must spend time to perform various actions. As the time marker completes a full circle, the oldest family member passes away. Deceased family members score points if their meeple is placed in the village chronicle. Securing a spot in the chronicle becomes a strategic consideration, often leading players to spend more time to ensure their family members are commemorated ahead of those of other players.

The Port Expansion
Among the three expansions, The Port is my personal favorite. It replaces the travel section of the board and introduces an engaging sea voyage mechanic. Players load goods and family members onto a ship, hire a captain, and embark on sailing expeditions. Besides selling goods on the islands and bringing back exotic goods for sale at the market, they can also discover treasure chests that offer coins and other valuable resources.
When playing with the Port, producing goods to sell on the islands, assigning family members to lighthouses for valuable points, and bringing back resources to sell at the market becomes a highly effective point-producing strategy. This expansion significantly enhances the travel aspect of the game.


The Inn Expansion
With the Inn expansion, beer is introduced as a new resource. Beer can be used to serve customers at the market or to engage in conversations with villagers at the inn. These villagers provide benefits such as victory points or new abilities. In our experience, the strategy centered around the Inn and acquiring villagers didn’t prove to be as lucrative compared to other aspects of the game, especially when other expansions were incorporated.

The Marriage Expansion
The Marriage expansion introduces two new resources, bread, and tools, along with two new action spaces. Bread can be used to increase the generation number of a family member by 1 when placed underneath them or to upgrade family members in the church hierarchy. The former use of bread becomes valuable when competing for spots in the village chronicle. Tools allow players to double production when producing goods.
The Smuggler, one of the new action spaces, offers opportunities to acquire cubes, serve customers in the market queue, and earn victory points. The marriage action introduces new avenues for acquiring family members, cubes, coins, and grain. It is also the only way to obtain tools and bread. By taking the marriage action, players can place their family members on a ceremony track. Depending on the player count, one or two marriages occur, rewarding players with combinations of cubes, tools, or bread. In a later round, players earn a new family member as a result of a marriage. This expansion opens up additional resource acquisition options and enhances player interaction.

Promos
Village: Big Box includes all previously published promos for the game. In addition to extra customer tiles, this edition features the Life Goals mini-expansion. Each player receives two random goals, which can score either 5 or 8 points if the requirements are met. These goals encourage players to pursue specific strategies, as they offer significant point rewards. The inclusion of these goals is particularly beneficial when playing with new players.

Artwork and Components
There has been some controversy among fans regarding the artwork of Village Big Box, with some expressing disappointment. Like many others, I also had initial reservations when I saw the pictures after the game was announced. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the artwork looks much better when the game is set up on the table. While it may not be everyone’s preferred style, the cleaner and more organized board design with vibrant colors improves the functionality of the game board, making it easier to navigate and understand the various actions and effects.
The component quality is excellent. The player boards, ships, and village chronicle are all recessed, ensuring everything stays in place. The meeples come pre-screen printed with their generation numbers, eliminating the need for stickers. Furthermore, the game includes a well-designed insert that sets it apart from many default inserts. It features separate sections for each expansion, providing dedicated spaces for different resources, tokens, and tiles. While it may not have removable compartments, the insert is functional and effectively serves its purpose by keeping everything neatly organized and allowing for easy inclusion of any combination of expansions.


Final Thoughts
Overall, Village Big Box is an outstanding edition of an already fantastic game. It combines multiple expansions seamlessly, with clear icons indicating compatibility between expansions. Having all of the content for the game in a single box, along with upgraded components and the addition of the Marriage expansion, makes this edition the superior choice over the original.
Disclosure: We received a review copy of this game. Also, there may be an affiliate link in the links included at the end of this article.
Discover more from BoardGameShots
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.