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Trickerion: Legends of Illusion
A Victorian magic show where the real trick is planning three turns ahead.
Designed by Richard Amann and Viktor Peter · 2015
One of the best-themed heavy worker placement games out there, but it asks for a long setup, a long evening, and a table full of people who actually want that. Worth it if you do.
Best for: Heavy-strategy gamers who love tight worker placement and a strong theme
What it is
Picture a Victorian magic troupe run like a tiny factory. You send your magicians into the city to buy components, learn tricks, and build the gadgets, then you stage a show for points. Designers Richard Amann and Viktor Peter wrap all that around tight worker placement and an action-point system, and the theme isn't decoration. Reviewers keep saying the same thing: it's easier to teach the story first, then hang the rules on it.
The catch
Here's the catch, and it's a real one. Setup is notorious, with players reporting anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour before anything starts. The box says 30 minutes a player; expect closer to 60 to 90. You'll lean on a multi-page reference menu through your first games. And the performance phase, the big payoff, is just cards and token placement, so the spectacle lives in your head, not on the table. New players tend to drown a little at first.
Who it's for
What saves it is how much the planning actually grips you. Actions are picked in secret, then revealed, so you spend the round reading everyone's faces and rerouting your whole plan. Players who love meaty Euros rate it highly, and the Dark Alley expansion adds engine-building powers that keep it fresh. This isn't a casual night. But if you want a heavy game with an honest, well-stitched theme, Trickerion earns its long evening.
What other players say
This write-up is grounded in real reviews and player discussion, not just one opinion. A few worth reading:
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