Jesters (2008): Buy or sell now

With so many games available that involve the leaders and royalty of medieval nations either battling each other or in competition with each other economically or socially, it is about time that a game came along that focuses on the real unsung heroes of those nations and kingdoms... the court jesters that entertained and provided much needed levity during those stressful times. In Jesters, each player is an up-and-coming jester working on the medieval entertainment scene. To begin with, they are truly indie DIY performers and will be handling their own career and trying to book performances for themselves and win over fans. As they progress, they may hook up with special persons like publicists and accountants and managers to be part of their entourage and help them achieve more success. There are several aspects of each jester's career which they will be working to advance over the five week Season of Mirth; Popularity, Wealth, Mojo, Reputation and Satisfaction. Jesters will also need to develop their material and save some of their best stuff for the big Woodshtick Festival at the end of the month, where all jesters are rated against each other and have the potential for a big payoff. All of the wealth, fame and reputation in the world won't mean a thing if a jester can't get no satisfaction. Jesters is ultimately won by the player who generates the most Satisfaction. There are several ways to gain Satisfaction in the game; through great performances, through the support of people in your Entourage, and by having a lot of fans at the Festival. Satisfaction Points can also be lost, through bad performances or other circumstances. Jesters is played over five turns, each representing one week, with a final Festival performance at the end of the fifth week. The game combines action drafting, hand management and area majority and plays in about 75-90 minutes.