English review by What Board Game – Reading time: 8 min.
This game is absolutely fantastic. From the midpoint of my first round, I was completely hooked. Every choice feels crucial, every move significant. You’re constantly considering your opponents’ actions and potential moves. You’re strategising about which areas of the main board to control by the round’s end and how to counter your opponents’ strategies. Your brain is working overtime from the get-go to maximize your efficiency.
English review by Tabletopping – Reading time: 5 min.
We’ve really enjoyed our time with The First Tsar: Ivan the Terrible. It’s a game of tight strategies, engaging player interactions, and constantly shifting power dynamics that keep each session fresh and tense. Yes, the game runs long at two to three hours, but time flies when you’re scheming and plotting your way to the top. The first few rounds might feel a bit slow as you get used to the mechanics, but once it clicks, it’s a smooth ride through a web of intrigue and strategy. If you’ve got a soft spot for traditional euro mechanics with a fresh twist, give The First Tsar a try—it might just win you over.
English review by @boardgamebahrain – Reading time: 5 min.
Overall, The First Tsar: Ivan the Terrible has easily earned a spot in my top 10 board games for 2024. It is another amazing title from Hobby World!
A superb game! Highly recommended!
English review by @brettspielfieber – Reading time: 1 min.
The more I play it, the more I like it. Highly interactive and tense euro game experience!
English review by @brettspielfieber – Reading time: 1 min.
Definitely worth a try, if you enjoy interactive games with a focus on sound game design!
English review by @abroadgame – Reading time: 2 min.
Overall this is a game I highly recommend and if you’re a fan of the genre you should definitely grab it on release!
Gameplay 8/10
English review by @brettspielfieber – Reading time: 1 min.
One of the biggest surprises for me in 2024, The First Tsar is a treat for everyone who likes interactive euro games without a random chaos factor!
reading the opponents’ options and board state is crucial when resolving your actions and it‘s very rewarding if your plans work out! really great game which i personally cannot recommend enough! 👍🏻😁
English review by @boardgamespixels – Reading time: 1 min.
I really enjoy tactics and opportunistic situations in games and The First Tsar offers plenty, so I really recommend trying this one if you have the chance.
Well done Stan!
English review by Unfiltered Gamer – Reading time: 6 min.
The First Tsar: Ivan the Terrible has been a major surprise. It’s thoroughly captivating and exciting from a thinking, euro gamer’s perspective. It vents those old-school, euro vibes where play is tight and choices can be a struggle. Your limited actions heighten the fact that every turn counts for something and will have an impact on the overall game.
English review by @babylon.games – Reading time: 2 min.
The First Tsar is one of the best games i played this year, i tottaly recomend it for you to check it out.
Spanish review by @ludus_lab – Reading time: 2 min.
Lo dicho, una grata sorpresa que merece más atención de la que ha tenido.
Spanish review by @dosmeeplesyuncunado – Reading time: 2 min.
Sin duda un juego al que merece la pena darle una oportunidad porque seguramente os sorprenda gratamente. Por aquí tenemos claro que seguirá viendo mesa.
English review by @abroadgame – Reading time: 1 min.
The visuals were awesome and we really enjoyed the gameplay. Definitely worth checking out if you get a chance!
English/Spanish by @freethemeeple – Reading time: 1 min.
With simple rules & actions and quick turns, it offers a great variety and depth of strategies, constant decisions as it has only 4 3-turn rounds, and development opportunities. Interesting system that combines the choice of an action and of your map presence, with a bonus if you spend coins. Different to others in its genre.
Good game!
English review by @ourboardgamestory – Reading time: 2 min.
Maybe the thing that we like the most about the game is its accessibility: the rules are straight to the point which makes the game easy to teach and especially easy to play (even after some time). Also, area control isn’t our favorite mechanic in board games yet it works pretty well here (even with two) – cool stuff.
German review by @smellslikeboardgames – Reading time: 2 min.
Mir gefällt hier ganz gut die Interaktion zwischen den Spielern. Etwa beim Überbieten von Gegnern und dem Manipulieren der Zaren-Gunst. Dies erzeugt ein intensives Katz-und-Maus-Spiel, das ständige Aufmerksamkeit verlangt. 🙌🏼
Die Entscheidungen sind schwerwiegend und der Platzierung der Boyaren kommt eine besondere Bedeutung zu, da sie sich direkt auf den regionalen Einfluss auswirken. 👍🏼
Diese strategischen Möglichkeiten habe ich nicht erwartet und wurde daher positiv überrascht.
English review by @board.game.diaries – Reading time: 1 min.
The First Tsar is a constant dance with the pieces on the map, workers in the five action chambers and markers on the Tsar track which resolves all ties. It is a somewhat tight albeit fun game. The meeples and resources are cool wooden tokens, and the footprint of the game is refreshingly small compared to similar euros. I’d say it is definitely worth a try! 🙃
English review by @brainburner_boardgames – Reading time: 2 min.
The First Tsar is an interesting game that is not rules heavy but proved to be a lot more crunchy than I initially thought. There are a lot of ways to change influence in a region and you have to plan all your actions before you can execute them so you’ll be changing tactics more often than not.
Dutch review by Spellenblog Spinli – Reading time: 5 min.
The First Tsar is een diep spel, een typische traditionele euro waar een eurospeler als ikzelf best blij van wordt. De spelregels zijn relatief eenvoudig, zodat je je volle focus kan leggen op het nemen van de juiste keuzes. En er zijn er best wel wat te maken. Het is geen evidente denkopdracht om alles klaar te spelen wat je graag zou willen doen, want je komt toch altijd acties te kort. Van de vijf beschikbare mag je er in één ronde slechts drie doen en je hebt er minstens vier nodig om jouw planning af te werken. Je zal dus creatief moeten zijn met bonussen en over de ronden heen bepalen waar je naartoe wil geraken. Elke beslissing die je neemt is belangrijk en kan daadwerkelijk een verschil betekenen op korte en lange termijn.
Dutch review by @spellendreef – Reading time: 1 min.
Eerste indruk / First impression: The First Tsar Ivan The Terrible van @hobbyworldint is een sfeervol strategisch bordspel in euro-stijl. Het combineert op een goede manier verschillende mechanismen zoals resource management, area majority, influence en bidding. De iconografie is duidelijk en de spelregels zijn eenduidig en goed uitgelegd. Kortom, een spel dat je zeker eens moet proberen als je de kans krijgt. Dit spel zal snel weer op onze speeltafel liggen!
Italian/English review by @dott_meeple_and_miss_dice – Reading time: 2 min.
We didn’t expect a game like this from the same designer as Minos and Endless Winter—two excellent games but filled with layers of mechanics and sub-mechanics. Instead, this title stands out for its simplicity, depth, and focus, and we’re enjoying it immensely. Our expectations were not disappointed!
Spanish review by @juegosconarte – Reading time: 1 min.
The First Tsar es ideal para amantes de los juegos estratégicos y temáticos que disfruten de mecánicas de gestión y control. Sin embargo, si prefieres juegos más ligeros, rápidos o con interacción directa constante, tal vez no se ajuste a tus gustos.
