Alhambra Review

Intro

Alhambra takes you back to 13th-century Granada, where you're competing to build the most impressive palace complex using skilled craftsmen from across Europe and Arabia. This 2003 Spiel des Jahres winner combines tile placement with set collection in a game that's easy to learn but offers plenty of tactical decisions. It plays smoothly with 2-6 players in about an hour, though it really shines with 3-4 people. The rules are straightforward enough for families, but there's enough depth to keep seasoned gamers engaged.

What makes Alhambra special is its clever currency system. You'll need to manage four different types of money to buy buildings, and paying exact change gives you another turn. It's this kind of elegant twist that helped earn the game its impressive collection of awards and a solid 7.03 rating from players worldwide.

How It Plays

The game revolves around three simple actions: take money, buy buildings, or rearrange your palace. The building market always shows four tiles, each priced in a different currency (blue, green, orange, or yellow). You'll draw money cards from the market to build up your purchasing power, but here's the catch – you need the right currency to buy what you want.

When you buy a building, you can either add it directly to your Alhambra or keep it in reserve for later construction. Buildings must connect properly to your existing palace, and you'll want to think about both the walls (which score points) and the building types you're collecting. There are six types of buildings – pavilions, seraglios, arcades, chambers, gardens, and towers – and having the most of each type scores you points.

The game includes three scoring rounds triggered by special cards mixed into the money deck. During scoring, you earn points for having pluralities in each building type, plus bonus points for your longest continuous wall. The tension builds nicely because early scoring rounds award fewer points, so timing your purchases becomes crucial.

Highlights

The exact change rule is pure genius. Pay precisely what a building costs, and you get another turn. This creates fantastic tension – do you spend multiple small bills to get that bonus action, or save your exact amounts for more expensive purchases? It's a simple rule that adds layers of decision-making without complexity.

Building placement feels like solving a satisfying puzzle. Your palace needs to stay connected, walls must line up properly, and you're constantly weighing whether to grab a building now or wait for something better. The reserved area gives you flexibility, letting you buy opportunistically and place strategically later.

The multiple scoring phases keep everyone engaged throughout the game. You're never truly out of it because building values change between rounds, and that final scoring can completely shake up the standings. I've seen players make dramatic comebacks by focusing on wall construction when others ignored it.

Alhambra scales beautifully across player counts. With more players, buildings disappear faster and competition intensifies. With fewer players, you have more control but face different tactical challenges. Either way, games maintain that sweet spot of meaningful choices without analysis paralysis.

Criticisms

The biggest frustration is currency luck. Sometimes you'll have plenty of money but none in the right denominations for buildings you want. While this creates interesting decisions about when to take money versus buildings, it can feel arbitrary when the perfect building appears but you're stuck with the wrong colored bills. The market refresh helps somewhat, but bad currency draws can definitely hamper your plans.

Building availability adds another layer of randomness that some players find annoying. You might focus on collecting towers only to see very few appear, or watch helplessly as someone else snaps up every pavilion. The four-building market limits your options, and while this creates competition, it can also feel restrictive when nothing appeals to you.

The game also suffers from some runaway leader problems. Players who get early scoring advantages often maintain them, especially in building categories. While the wall scoring provides an alternative path to victory, it's not always enough to catch up. Games can occasionally feel decided by the second scoring round, though the final scoring does provide some comeback potential.

Conclusion

Alhambra remains a deserving classic that bridges the gap between family and strategy gaming beautifully. You'll love it if you enjoy games where simple rules create complex decisions, or if you like the satisfaction of building something tangible during play. The currency management appeals to players who enjoy economic elements without heavy number-crunching, while the tile placement satisfies those who like spatial puzzles.

It's perfect for groups that want something more substantial than basic family games but aren't ready for heavy euros. The combination of accessible rules, meaningful choices, and relatively quick play time makes it an excellent gateway game that doesn't overstay its welcome. Sure, there's luck involved, but skilled players will consistently outperform newcomers by managing their money wisely and timing their purchases well.

Nearly twenty years after its release, Alhambra still delivers engaging gameplay that brings people back to the table. If you're looking for a proven crowd-pleaser that works equally well with family or game night regulars, this palace-builder deserves a spot in your collection.