But credit to Lang: it is put together very nicely and, thanks to the variable game board (due to the random new business openings every act), in a way that offers a lot of replayability.

SIMPLE STRATEGY GAME: This family board game is easy to get the hang of and only takes 30 minutes to play. This one has enough tweaks to make it a worthy addition to the genre for sure, and any gamer who is also a fan of the film is certainly going to want to pick this one up. Those looking to simply relive the events of The Godfather will come away disappointed, yet Corleone’s Empire manages to accurately translate to cards and plastic the brutal dealings of the gangster epic. Not only will this premium, limited edition MONOPOLY look stunning on display at home, but it's perfect to show off and play with your amici. Lastly, because you are out of the round as soon as you place your last worker, it leads to some very interesting timing considerations: do I get out in front and assert my area control, getting resources and abilities that are more lucrative, or do I wait until someone else has established control so I can take them out?The back of the box features a large image showing the full set up game, as well some examples of the minis included in the game. Thugs are placed on businesses to “Shakedown” the front of the business affording them bonuses in the form of illicit goods, cash, extra job cards, or the ability to “Suitcase” money. Play from a hand of cards that allow you to bump off other players, duck behind a car, make alliances and run off to Las Vegas or Italy.

As you can guess, if you're not into games with negative player interaction, this one might not be for you. Every single job card, and the back of every card in the game, features the exact same picture of Don Corleone. Stashing cash away is especially important, as any money left in your hand could be claimed by Don Corleone at the end of a round. I love a beige euro as much as the next guy, but I don't love it when a mechanic doesn't make sense in a game or have an obvious connection to what I'm doing.The game comes with a vacuform plastic insert which has plenty of space available – perhaps too much. In long, you play as competing mafia families who are vying for economic control of the organized crime networks of New York City, deploying your thugs, your don, your wife, and your heir on the board to shake down businesses and engage in area-control turf wars.

As you progress to each new act you’ll place a new building tile onto the board, and thus over the course of the game a total of four extra businesses will pop up on top of those already printed on the board and any others that were placed at the start due to the number of players sitting at the table. This is one of the big reasons family members are so important because they can count toward control of multiple pieces of turf at once.

Eric Lang brings the three layers of worker placement, area control and secret bidding together with a deft hand, each affecting the others enough to make your decisions feel impactful.