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National Economy Mesena (ナショナルエコノミー・メセナ)

Quick Reference

Players: 1-4 | Time: 45 minutes | Complexity: 2.6/5
BGG Rating: 7.8/10 | Available on BGA: No

Game Overview

National Economy Mesena is a cultural worker placement game where players are patrons of the arts, investing in cultural projects and supporting artists to build a thriving creative economy. This standalone expansion to National Economy introduces cultural production alongside traditional economic development.

Players manage workers, develop cultural institutions, and balance economic growth with artistic patronage. The game emphasizes long-term planning and the interconnection between cultural investment and economic prosperity.

Components

Worker Cards (80 cards)

Each worker has: - Wages: Cost to employ the worker - Skills: Specific abilities and bonuses - Cultural Affinity: Preference for artistic or commercial work - Specializations: Unique effects when used in specific contexts

Building Cards (60 cards)

  • Cultural Buildings: Theaters, museums, art galleries, concert halls
  • Commercial Buildings: Shops, factories, offices, restaurants
  • Mixed Buildings: Libraries, cultural centers, educational institutions

Art Project Cards (40 cards)

  • Visual Arts: Paintings, sculptures, installations
  • Performing Arts: Plays, concerts, dance performances
  • Literary Arts: Books, poetry, journalism
  • Cultural Events: Festivals, exhibitions, cultural celebrations

Currency (Coins and Cultural Points)

  • Gold Coins: Standard economic currency
  • Cultural Points: Represent artistic and social value
  • Prestige Tokens: Recognition for cultural achievements

Player Boards (4 boards)

Track economic development, cultural influence, and special abilities.

Setup

  1. Give each player a starting deck of 8 worker cards
  2. Create building market with 6 face-up building cards
  3. Set up art project display with 4 available projects
  4. Each player starts with 7 coins and 1 cultural point
  5. Place workers - each player draws 5 workers as starting hand
  6. Set up cultural calendar showing seasonal bonuses

Cultural Calendar

The cultural calendar provides different bonuses each round, representing seasonal cultural events and funding opportunities.

How to Play

Round Structure

Each round represents a season in the cultural year.

Phase 1: Cultural Planning

  • Reveal new cultural calendar bonus for this round
  • Players may spend cultural points for early advantages
  • Adjust cultural market based on seasonal demands

Phase 2: Worker Deployment

Players take turns placing workers on available actions:

Economic Actions
  • Commercial Work: Gain coins based on worker's commercial skill
  • Resource Gathering: Collect materials needed for cultural projects
  • Building Construction: Build new cultural or commercial facilities
  • Market Trading: Buy/sell goods and cultural artifacts
Cultural Actions
  • Artistic Creation: Commission or create art projects
  • Cultural Support: Fund existing cultural institutions
  • Public Performance: Organize events for cultural points and coins
  • Education: Train workers in cultural skills

Phase 3: Cultural Resolution

  • Complete Art Projects: Finish commissioned works for bonuses
  • Cultural Institution Benefits: Gain ongoing effects from cultural buildings
  • Public Recognition: Convert achievements into prestige tokens
  • Seasonal Bonuses: Apply cultural calendar effects

Phase 4: Economic Resolution

  • Pay Worker Wages: All employed workers must be paid
  • Building Maintenance: Some buildings require upkeep
  • Investment Returns: Gain income from commercial buildings
  • Worker Development: Upgrade workers with new skills

Cultural Development

Art Projects

  • Commission: Spend resources to begin art projects
  • Completion: Requires specific worker skills and time
  • Benefits: Provide cultural points, prestige, and ongoing effects
  • Synergies: Some projects work better when combined

Cultural Buildings

  • Construction: Requires both coins and cultural points
  • Operation: Need skilled workers to function effectively
  • Benefits: Provide ongoing cultural and economic advantages
  • Prestige: Major cultural buildings provide significant prestige

Economic Engine

Worker Development

  • Skills Training: Improve worker abilities over time
  • Specialization: Focus workers on cultural or commercial tracks
  • Cultural Education: Train workers in artistic skills
  • Leadership: Some workers can manage cultural institutions

Resource Management

  • Balance: Maintain balance between coins and cultural points
  • Investment: Cultural investments pay off over time
  • Prestige Value: High prestige attracts better workers and projects

Winning

The game ends after a fixed number of rounds (varies by player count).

Final Scoring

Economic Value

  • Coins: Remaining money
  • Buildings: Commercial and cultural building values
  • Workers: Total value of trained worker force

Cultural Impact

  • Art Projects: Points for completed cultural works
  • Cultural Buildings: Ongoing cultural influence
  • Prestige Tokens: Recognition and status
  • Cultural Legacy: Bonus points for diverse cultural investments

Synergy Bonuses

  • Cultural-Economic Balance: Bonuses for balanced development
  • Artistic Collections: Sets of related art projects
  • Cultural Districts: Connected cultural buildings
  • Master Artisan: Workers who achieved highest skill levels

Quick Reference Sheet

Action Summary

Action Cost Effect
Commercial Work Worker wages Gain coins
Cultural Work Worker wages + materials Gain cultural points
Build Commercial Coins Economic building
Build Cultural Coins + cultural points Cultural building
Art Commission Resources + cultural points Begin art project
Cultural Event Cultural points Immediate benefits + prestige

Worker Skills

  • Commercial: Better at economic activities
  • Artistic: Better at cultural projects
  • Leadership: Can manage multiple workers
  • Specialized: Expert in specific cultural areas

Building Benefits

  • Theater: Bonus cultural points from performances
  • Museum: Ongoing prestige generation
  • Art Gallery: Bonus for visual art projects
  • Cultural Center: Versatile cultural bonuses
  • Library: Worker education benefits

Strategy Tips

Balanced Development

  • Don't neglect either economic or cultural development
  • Cultural investments often pay off more in the long term
  • Some of the highest scoring comes from synergy bonuses

Worker Management

  • Train workers in skills that match your strategy
  • Cultural specialists become very powerful late game
  • Balance immediate needs with long-term development

Project Timing

  • Start long-term art projects early
  • Time cultural events for maximum benefit
  • Use seasonal calendar bonuses strategically

Building Strategy

  • Cultural buildings provide ongoing benefits
  • Commercial buildings fund cultural investments
  • Mixed buildings offer versatility

Solo Mode

National Economy Mesena includes a sophisticated solo mode: - AI Opponent: Automated cultural competitor - Variable Difficulty: Multiple challenge levels - Solo Campaigns: Linked scenarios with ongoing development - Cultural Goals: Specific objectives for solo play

National Economy Mesena is a game by Tomoki Motohashi, published by Spiel & Freizeit. This documentation is for educational purposes.