We picked up Dorfromantik when it won the Spiel des Jahres. And the start is genuinely great. The way the game is introduced, with new elements arriving bit by bit, is really well done. Still, it didn’t stick with us.
What is Dorfromantik?
A co-op tile-laying game by Lukas Zach and Michael Palm, published by Pegasus Spiele, and the 2023 Spiel des Jahres winner. The box says 1 to 6 players, ages 8 and up. It’s based on the video game of the same name.
Together you place hexagonal tiles with forests, fields, villages, rivers and railways. You try to fulfil tasks, like a forest of exactly a certain number of tiles. At the end you count points. With enough points, the campaign unlocks new boxes, locked at first, holding new tiles and tasks.
What we liked
The co-op feel is lovely: everyone places together, everyone thinks together. And the new elements are cool. Every box you open brings something new, and the game gradually gets harder. So it’s not easy.
What we missed
We miss a goal. Yes, you need more points to move on. But for a co-op game, that’s too weak for us. There’s no high-five moment, no shared “we did it!”.
Dorfromantik is one of those games that just trickles along quietly. It keeps getting more demanding, but thematically it somehow stays on the surface.
We opened every box. After that, though, it ran out of steam, for us and for our daughters.
The comparison with Harry Potter
We know a similar idea from Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle. There too you play co-op and open new, challenging boxes over time, with completely different mechanics, of course. But there it was clear what you wanted to achieve together, and you fought for it. That’s exactly what we miss in Dorfromantik.
What we hear in the community
Many praise what we liked too: easy to explain, co-op, a feel-good game with no pressure of losing, and high replay value thanks to the campaign. The Spiel des Jahres jury highlighted exactly that feel-good quality.
But we hear our criticism from others too: the lack of an end goal or a winner puts some families off. And some find it hard to score any points in the first few games. On player count, many think it works better with two or three than with a full table.
Who is Dorfromantik for?
For anyone who’s in it for puzzling together. If you’d happily do a crossword as a team, you’ll feel right at home.
It’s nothing for anyone who expects a co-op game to have a clear goal, tension and a shared cheer at the end. Then Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle is the better pick.
Over to you: did you play Dorfromantik to the last box, and what came after?
Where it shines
- Really well introduced, new elements arrive step by step
- Co-op, with no pressure of losing
- The campaign boxes spark curiosity
- Gets gradually more demanding
Where it pinches
- No clear shared goal, no "we did it!" moment
- Trickles along quietly
- The theme stays on the surface
- After the campaign, it ran out of steam for us
Fact sheet
- 1–6 (box)
- 30–60 min
- 8+
- Lukas Zach, Michael Palm
- Pegasus Spiele
- Spiel des Jahres 2023
- family, every campaign box opened
FAQ
How does Dorfromantik: The Board Game work?
Together you place hexagonal landscape tiles and try to fulfil tasks, like a forest of a certain size. At the end you count points. With enough points, the campaign gradually unlocks new boxes with new tiles and tasks.
Is there a winner in Dorfromantik?
No. You play together and try to score as many points as possible. That's exactly what we missed: a clear goal and the moment you high-five because you made it.
Is the campaign worth it?
Introducing new elements is really well done. We opened every box, but afterwards it ran out of steam for us, our daughters included.
Dorfromantik or Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle?
Both are co-op and unlock new boxes over time, with very different mechanics. In Harry Potter it was clear what we wanted to achieve together, and we fought for it. That's what we missed in Dorfromantik.
