Creating your own magical library by collecting and shelving a variety of rare books is the object of Ex Libris. Each round opens with several new shops being randomly chosen and laid out that you can then visit on your turn to trade, donate, and acquire more books for your library--from Monster Manuals and Fantastical Fiction to Corrupted Codices. All you have to do is shelve the most books, earn the most points, and you win the title of Grand Librarian!
This game isn't difficult, though there is a bit of a learning curve the first time you play as you try to figure out the best way to shelve your books in order to earn the most points, as well as how to utilize the special skills of your particular library (which changes each time you play). This game is for 1-5 players and it plays in just 30-60 minutes. I thought it was a lot of fun! I especially loved reading all the clever book titles on each of the cards from Nancy Druid and The Hardly Boys to Dungeon Decorating for Dummies. Each new title made me smile. And I had a lot of fun collecting all these crazy books for my own gnomish library. (I even came in second!) So if you're looking for an imaginative and entertaining bookish game that's got fantastic illustrations, check this one out!
Can you tell I liked this one?
Happy playing!
