Game Review: Lascaux

By Greg Schloesser
April 5, 2008

Publisher: Phalanx Games / Mayfair Games
Designers: Dominique Ehrhard & Michel Lalet
Players: 3-5
Ages: 8+
Playing Time: 25 minutes
Rules Language: German / English

I am somewhat of a history buff, and whenever I travel in Europe, I love visiting historical sites, particularly ancient castles, cathedrals and ruins. I remember being amazed on one visit having lunch at a restaurant and noticing that the building was built in 1356 – over one hundred years before Columbus landed in the New World!

The subject of the game Lascaux by designers Dominque Erhard and Michel Lalet is actually older than the castles and cathedrals I enjoy visiting, MUCH older. The subject is the ancient drawings of animals found on the walls of caves in southwestern France. These animals are no longer found in France, but they did roam the countryside over 15,000 years ago. Now that’s old!

In Lascaux, players somehow collect these paintings – they are drawn on cave walls, so just how does one go about collecting them? – attempting to gain majorities of as many different types of animals as possible. An interesting bidding procedure reminiscent of that used in the popular filler Geschenkt (No Thanks in English) is at the center of the game.

Six different animals and six different colors are depicted in the deck of cards, with each card having one animal and two different colors. The artwork on the cards is a replication of the actual cave drawings, which is nice. However, without close attention, it is difficult to discern the difference between the drawings, which does hinder the game.

Each player receives a set of six tokens, each depicting a different color, as well as twelve stones, which serve as the currency in the game. Each turn, cards are revealed from the deck until six different colors are showing, or seven cards are drawn. Each player then secretly selects the token whose color matches the color of the cards he desires to take this round. The bidding then commences with the start player offering a stone. Each player may match the offer, or drop out of the bidding. If the bidding returns to the start player, he may either increase his bid by a stone or drop out.

When a player drops out of the bidding, he collects all of the stones that have been bid up to that point. He also places the token he had selected face-down next to the cards. As subsequent players withdraw from the bidding, they collect the stones bid and their token is placed on top of any previously placed tokens. Once all players have withdrawn from the bidding, the tokens are revealed one-at-a-time from top-to-bottom, and the owner of each token collects all cards whose color matches that of the token he placed. Of course, the further down a player’s token is in the stack, the less likely it is that there will be any cards remaining of the color he selected, so dropping out of the bidding usually allows the player to collect the valuable bidding stones, but at the risk of possibly not collecting any cards.

At the completion of a round, more cards are revealed and the bidding process is repeated. The game concludes at the end of the round when the deck expires. Points are then awarded to the players possessing the most cards in each type of animal. The points a player earns are equal to the number of cards he has for a particular animal. For example, if Ryan has the most antelope paintings with six cards, he will earn six points. In addition to these points, players earn one point for every six stones they possess. The player with the most overall points receives the accolades of the antiquities industry, and wins the game.

The bidding mechanism conveys the same tension as that found in Geschenkt. Choosing when to drop-out of a bidding round is a key decision and often filled with angst. Waiting too long could syphon valuable bidding stones, and allow an opponent to scoop a healthy supply of stones, leaving a player with a paltry amount when he ultimately withdraws.

Equally important is deciding how often to remain in an auction. Players must be observant of the animals available, and keep a careful eye on gathering the ones needed to secure majorities in as many types as possible. Sometimes, it isn’t the wisest course to attempt to grab the most animals. Rather, one must zero-in on certain animals and pursue those types as the game progresses.

There is no denying a healthy dose of luck is present. While having your token near the bottom of the stack usually results in no cards being gained, sometimes one gets lucky and manages to scoop a card or two. Conversely, one can have his token near the top of the stack, only to see the cards he desired scooped by the player choosing first. Observant players can sometimes get a good idea of the cards an opponent covets, but not always. The revealing of tokens often results in squeals of delight and groans of despair.

Lascaux may have as its object a task that is, in reality, difficult to accomplish, but as a game it’s a fun diversion. It isn’t terribly deep, and it isn’t an exercise in strategy. Still, it does offer some interesting choices and is fun to play. While the luck aspect may be distasteful to some, its short duration makes it a good choice as an interlude between more substantial fare, or as a fun game to play with friends and family. What’s more, you don’t have to deface priceless, ancient drawings to enjoy it!

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