Elfinwerks has announced that Lungarno and Comuni, two of the best examples of the burgeoning Italian board game scene, are en route to the United States and will be available to American gamers in English language editions by the end of January.  Both games are set in medieval Italy and will appeal to those who enjoy sophisticated, historically-oriented board games such as Carcassonne.

 

Lungarno (MSRP $35) was created by Michele Mura (Easy School).  The fast-paced game is set on the banks of the River Arno in the heart of Pisan financial district.  Players must use their merchants to compete for lucrative contracts from the four great houses of Pisa, and the players’ actions will influence the fortunes of those noble houses.

 

Comuni, which like Lungarno is a game of economic progress rather than conquest, is the result of a collaboration between the design team known as Acchittocca and Tenki Games.  Like Lungarno, Comuni is set in Northern Italy during the tumultuous late Middle Ages.  Players bid, bluff, and build in an effort to lead their “commune” to the pinnacle of culture.

 

Elfinwerks, a game company formed in late 2007 by former Mayfair Games executive Will Neibling (see “Will Neibling Forms ElfinWerks”), specializes in bringing sophisticated joint U.S./European board games to the North American market.