I’m trying something new here, and that means giving some attention to board games that folks might have missed. Maybe you’re new to the hobby, or perhaps you’ve seen an older game and thought, “It’s probably not that good anymore.” But the truth is, some amazing games have really stood the test of time. These are games that really ask you to give them a shot.
And just so we’re clear, when I say “old,” I mean old in the world of board games.
First up, let’s talk about Troyes.
What do you do in Troyes?
First off, the name is pronounced “Twah,” not “Troy” like the city. It’s a French game, after all.
In Troyes, you roll dice and use them to do things in the French town of Troyes back in the 1200s. Pretty neat, right? If that doesn’t get you excited, maybe you’re not a board gamer!
The game board has different areas where players put their dice. Around the edge are buildings in the town where you can send your workers. Red is for military, white is for religion, and yellow is for city matters. When you get paid, if you have workers in these buildings, you have to give some money away, but you also get dice in the color of the building your workers are in.
Each building lets you do different actions. What’s cool about Troyes is that these action spots are actually cards that get mixed up when you start the game. You won’t know what actions are available until the cards are turned over. By spending money, you can put your little worker pieces (they call them “citizens”) on these cards. Doing this not only gets you points but also lets you use the actions on that card.
You use the dice you have in your area to take actions, put people in buildings, fight off bad events, and help build a big cathedral. It’s kind of like what you do in the great game Hamburgum. So, you make money, place your people, get dice, use dice for actions, and watch your friends get frustrated. You know, the usual fun.
Why should I still play Troyes today?
That’s a good question, and it’s why I started this series. I want to make a case for Troyes. Lots of great games where you use dice as workers or place workers have come out since Troyes first appeared about 16 years ago. So, why should you still play it in 2026?
For starters, it reminds me of the tough, competitive style of German board games from the 90s and early 2000s. Let’s say you don’t have enough dice to do the actions you want. What can you do? Well, you can use one of the dice you do have to put a worker in a spot in a building. This can push other players’ workers out, maybe even off the board. Having a worker in a building means you get another die for that color next round.
Or, with a bit of sneaky fun, you can actually buy dice from other players. That’s right, if you have the money and someone else only has one die in their area, you can buy it, use it, and then it’s gone.
It sounds pretty mean, doesn’t it? It is, and that’s part of why the game is so good. Many newer games are like easier versions of those older German games. You might interact with other players a little, but you usually don’t directly take things away from them, and they can’t stop you easily.
Another thing I love about playing Troyes even now is how straightforward it is. The game board looks okay, but it’s really easy to set up and put away. Turns move quickly, and nothing feels complicated or slow. You get into the game, do your thing, and move on. It’s not like older games where everything was predictable. You never know what actions will be available or what problems you’ll have to deal with.
Troyes is just a really fun game, and you should definitely try it. People who are new to board games might be surprised by how much you can mess with other players, but it’s good to try something different. Troyes shows that not every game night has to be super friendly and gentle.
The only tricky part is finding it, as it’s not being printed in English right now. But there are plenty of copies out there, so you should be able to find one used. If you want to test it out before buying, you can go to Board Game Arena and play it for free.
Have you played Troyes? What do you think? Do you still play it? What games should I cover next in this series? Let me know in the comments.
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