---
product_id: 31622452
title: "Scythe (Base Game)"
brand: "stonemaier games"
price: "€ 234.16"
currency: EUR
in_stock: null
reviews_count: 7
category: "Stonemaier Games"
url: https://www.desertcart.fr/products/31622452-scythe-base-game
store_origin: FR
region: France
---

# 115 min streamlined play Iconic dieselpunk mechs Engine-building strategy Scythe (Base Game)

**Brand:** stonemaier games
**Price:** € 234.16
**Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock

## Summary

> 🤖 Build your empire, outsmart rivals, and dominate the dieselpunk frontier!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Scythe (Base Game) by stonemaier games
- **How much does it cost?** € 234.16 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Currently out of stock
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.fr](https://www.desertcart.fr/products/31622452-scythe-base-game)

## Best For

- stonemaier games enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted stonemaier games brand quality
- Free international shipping included
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- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Fast-Paced, Low Downtime:** Streamlined action-selection keeps turns brisk, perfect for busy professionals craving engaging yet efficient gameplay.
- • **Master the Dieselpunk Era:** Immerse yourself in a richly illustrated alternate 1920s Europe where innovation meets intrigue.
- • **Solo & Social Flexibility:** Play solo against the Automa or gather 1-5 players for dynamic area control battles that never get stale.
- • **Strategic Engine-Building:** Craft your faction’s unique engine with asymmetric powers for endless tactical depth and replayability.
- • **Balanced Combat & Morality:** Navigate combat’s cold war tension and moral choices with minimal luck, rewarding strategic foresight over chance.

## Overview

Scythe by Stonemaier Games is a critically acclaimed engine-building and area control board game set in an alternate-history 1920s Europe. Designed for 1-5 players with a 115-minute playtime, it features asymmetric factions, iconic mechs, and a blend of strategic planning with minimal luck. Its streamlined mechanics and rich artwork create a deeply immersive experience that balances competitive tension with replayability, making it a must-have for serious board gamers and strategy enthusiasts alike.

## Description

Buy Stonemaier Games: Scythe (Base Game) by Jamey Stegmaier | an Engine-Building, Area Control Strategy Board Game with Mechs, Set in Dieselpunk 1920+ Europe for Adults and Family | 1-5 Players, 115 Mins: Board Games - desertcart.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

Review: Behold!! Gaze in amazement, as you have stumbled upon the greatest board game, in all the ages! - Behold!! Gaze in amazement, as you have stumbled upon the greatest board game, in all the ages! Prepare yourself to be immersed in a glorious steam-punk reality of endless wonder! You my friend, are about to embark on the intrepid journey that is.... Scythe!! With the expansion pack, choose from 7 different factions, and 7 different game boards to set forth on your quest of glory! Boost your defenses, conquer your surrounding land, and take no prisoners from your enemies! I've currently played well over 100 games of scythe, which probably clocks in close to 150 hours of total game time. I can honestly say it is THE most fun board game I've played, and I'm still not tired of it. Many other board games I will vouch for as being amazing, and I've played them several times over, but at some point, even those games become a little stale, and the gameplay itself becomes boiled down to a science. Such is not the case with scythe. It's got just enough random elements to keep it fresh and new every time you play it, without making it so random that you have no control over the outcome. It's the perfect blend. And now with its most recent expansion "Wind Gambits" the game has evolved anymore. But for newcomers, don't let the expansion intimidate you. I highly recommend playing the base game of Scythe for all it's worth (which is a TON) before worrying about playing with the expansion. I am an avid board gamer, and this is truly a one of a kind game that I have yet to become bored with, and I have yet to dice up into a science. Every single game will have you attempting new strategies, and exploring new options to declare yourself the victor. One of the most exciting parts of Scythe is that when the game ends, rarely will there ever be a distinct winner before the final points have been carefully calculated. There is a Scythe app on iOS and Android that I highly recommend downloading for deciding factions at the beginning of the game, and tallying score at the end. Without going into game play detail (I'll leave that to the rulebook) What I can say is that Scythe is, on the surface, a very complex game, but once you get your feet wet and play it, it really isn't too terrifying to learn. There's only so much you can do per turn, and once you run through it a few times, you begin to see the gears of the game click and turn, and you'll have a well running engine of a faction in no time! If you're just starting out with a group of people who are also new to the game, you're going to have your questions and missteps along the way where you might find you weren't playing certain rules down to their very exact intent, but this is perfectly fine. A lot of the fun in Scythe is discovering all the things you missed, or even may have been doing incorrectly, and changing up your game for the next time. For the most part, Scythe is an incredibly balanced game. If you get into a rhythm of playing with a core group of people, you'll start to realize the few imbalances it has *cough* Industrial Rusviet *cough* and learn to play around them. Again, figuring out what each faction is good at, how to make it work with your unique play mat, and formulate the best plan of attack, are just a few of the things that make Scythe such an immersive and brilliant game that will have you wanting to re-rack the game again and again. Hour and half to two-hour sessions seem like mere minutes when you really start grasp how fun the game is. If I had one gripe about the game, it would be the amount of players that can play. It's nice that Scythe can include 7 players, especially if you have a lot of board-game savvy friends who all want to be included. But be warned! 6 or 7-player games of Scythe tend to drag on, and when that happens, more often than not, one if not more people will lose interest, and thus become unenthused with the game. And nothing kills the fun of a game, like some one who is currently playing the game and not giving a crap about it. So if you have 6 or 7 brave souls willing to stick it out, it's best that all parties involved have a vast knowledge of the game, and indeed the actually WANT to play, knowing full well what they are signing up for. The sweet spot for Scythe, seems to be around the 4-5 player mark. The games are long enough that you don't feel cheated out of an epic board game experience, but short enough that the ADD in your friends doesn't start to show itself, and manifest into playing candy crush on their phones in between turns. Scythe is a massively wonderful game of strategy that I would absolutely suggest to any board game enthusiast looking to play one of the greatest games of all time. If new to board games, I would suggest watching several Scythe tutorials on the internet or playing with some one who has played before and has a good concept of the game. Again, it's complex, but not so much that I would say anyone wanting to learn the game, wouldn't be able to, regardless of their prior knowledge of board games. If you're willing to invest a little time to learn this game, you won't be disappointed!!
Review: Don't fear the reaper and go get yourself this phenomenal game. It has mechs and pets. - There is a reason this game is so high on the best of all time list on boardgamegeek. I've played a ton of games, some with very little luck involved (Puerto Rico) and some with great concepts/themes, but a little TOO much luck (like HeroScape). Scythe strikes a good balance between strategic planning and the random nature of their wartorn area in an alternate history. I'd probably call it a 4x game (Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate), but it feels like it does each of those concepts a little (or a lot) different than many other games out there. Combat plays out kind of like a bluffing game of poker. No dice rolling. Personally I like dice combat when it's balanced or has cards/abilities to offset pure randomness. So the combat took some getting used to, but there are pretty good incentives NOT to attack as well. Overall, it feels like you're doing your own thing with the occasional skirmish. That is apparently intentional and I like that. Terra Mystica is similar, but no combat at all in that game. Scythe is not an easy game to pick up and play. It's very easy to play the game incorrectly and sometimes the cards or rules are just vague. I had to look up a few things online when it was clear in the rulebook (or took too long). I think a lot of the confusion lies in the game design. The artwork is absolutely beautiful, but there needs to be clearer game icons and navigation. The biggest offenders are the faction/player mats and most of your time will be spent looking at these. There are symbols that don't really help define anything, can and can't actions that don't have a visually logical flow, and too much reliance on the rulebook. That last part sounds dumb, but I believe there should be visual reminders to the game's rules on the pieces, cards, and mats in front of you. One of the few games I've played that gives players a "turn order/what actions you can do" card that is almost worthless. There are also no "footstomps," in the rulebook. Important rules should be bolded, highlighted, have reminders, examples, etc. There is a terminology list at the back, but I found myself looking stuff up on my phone because it was a lot faster and the answer was clearer. One of our players struggled bad with the concept of producing since it shows that you "pay a worker" first. It's not very clear when/where/how to do something without reading the 30+ page rulebook. The inverse of that mildly bad gameflow design, is that once you get the general flow of the game, it can play pretty quickly. It took 3 of us 1 hr and 40 minutes the first time we played. Not bad considering they estimate 25 minutes per player. I know it sounds like quite a bit of complaining, but to me these are mild annoyances that are merely highlighted because the game is so fantastic.

## Features

- Explore: It is a time of unrest in 1920s Europa. The ashes from the first great war still darken the snow. The capitalistic city-state known simply as “The Factory”, which fueled the war with heavily armored mechs, has closed its doors, drawing the attention of several nearby countries.
- Alternate History: Scythe is an engine-building game set in an alternate-history 1920s period in Eastern Europe. It is a time of farming and war, broken hearts and rusted gears, innovation and valor.
- High Replayability and Variability: With five different factions and five different player boards, players can mix and match to enhance replayability. Asymmetric powers keep the game fresh every time!
- Quick Turns: Scythe uses a streamlined action-selection mechanism (no rounds or phases) to keep gameplay moving at a brisk pace and reduce downtime between turns. This area majority strategy game for 1-5 players has a 115 minute playing time with only a 5 minute setup time. Great game for couples, solo gamers, 2 players, family, and friends.
- Low Luck and Randomness: Scythe gives players almost complete control over their fate. Other than each player’s individual hidden objective card, the only elements of luck are “encounter” cards that players will draw as they interact with the citizens of newly explored lands.
- Beautifully Designed and Illustrated: Designed by Jamey Stegmaier (Viticulture). Richly developed alternate reality with interesting and beautiful 1920+ artwork done by Jakub Rozalski (Iron Harvest).
- Cold War Tension: The tension comes more from the threat of combat than the combat itself. Combat hurts both parties but can also benefit both parties. Popularity is lost when you are the attacker in Scythe or forcing a worker to move off of their land, but popularity is gained when making decisions that would gain popularity in a story.
- Thematically Designed Mechanisms: The reward descriptions on the Encounter cards add a role-playing feel to Scythe, giving your decisions some morality conflicts besides just selecting from resource benefits.The animal companions, mechs, and characters all tell a rich story of intrigue and sought glory. Upgrades reveal more benefits and make progress in the game easier, giving the feeling of actually upgrading something.
- Solo Play: Features an Automa to play against in a 1-player game for a fun solitaire experience. The Automa simulates an opponent for you to compete against, while your game as a player remains the same. On the Automa’s turn, flip a card to see what action it takes.
- Published by Stonemaier: Stonemaier is a tabletop game publisher based in St. Louis and distributed worldwide. Stonemaier's brands include Viticulture, Euphoria, Between Two Cities, Scythe, Charterstone, My Little Scythe, Between Two Castles, Wingspan, Tapestry, Pendulum, Red Rising, Rolling Realms Collection, Libertalia, Smitten, Expeditions, Apiary, Wyrmspan, Stamp Swap, Finspan, Tokaido, Vantage, and Origin Story.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B01IPUGYK6 |
| Best Sellers Rank | #36,836 in Toys & Games ( See Top 100 in Toys & Games ) #946 in Board Games (Toys & Games) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars (5,369) |
| Department | Teens & Adults, Unisex |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item Weight | 7.25 pounds |
| Item model number | STM600 |
| Language | English |
| Manufacturer | Stonemaier Games |
| Manufacturer recommended age | 14 years and up |
| Product Dimensions | 11.81 x 4 x 14.57 inches |
| Release date | August 10, 2016 |

## Images

![Scythe (Base Game) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71YQKD6fojL.jpg)

## Available Options

This product comes in different **Style** options.

## Questions & Answers

**Q: How is solo play?**
A: I won't go as far as saying you should buy this game just for solo play with the "Automa" system, but it is definitely a perk to have. It provides a cool way to learn the game and with all the variants available by the publisher online it adds variety for those who can't get a group over for a game night but still want some board games.  I haven't tried all the way up to 4 Automas at once but can confirm that it is challenging and adds to an already great game. For me a big part of board games are the friends you play with so excluding the social part lacking Scythe's solo play, or Automa as they call it, is the most in depth and worth while solo variant I have spent time with.  (I've only owned two games with such variants and seriously spent time with one of them)

**Q: Is solo play played on the computer (after purchasing the tangible game)?**
A: Soon played on the game board itself. The game comes.with rules that alllow you to play solo.

**Q: Does this item contain any Kickstarter items?**
A: No, this is the standard retail edition of Scythe.

**Q: Is this game fun with 2 players?**
A: That's the beauty of this game: it works at any player number. The strategies you use may change, but fun remains.

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Behold!! Gaze in amazement, as you have stumbled upon the greatest board game, in all the ages!
*by L***S on December 13, 2017*

Behold!! Gaze in amazement, as you have stumbled upon the greatest board game, in all the ages! Prepare yourself to be immersed in a glorious steam-punk reality of endless wonder! You my friend, are about to embark on the intrepid journey that is.... Scythe!! With the expansion pack, choose from 7 different factions, and 7 different game boards to set forth on your quest of glory! Boost your defenses, conquer your surrounding land, and take no prisoners from your enemies! I've currently played well over 100 games of scythe, which probably clocks in close to 150 hours of total game time. I can honestly say it is THE most fun board game I've played, and I'm still not tired of it. Many other board games I will vouch for as being amazing, and I've played them several times over, but at some point, even those games become a little stale, and the gameplay itself becomes boiled down to a science. Such is not the case with scythe. It's got just enough random elements to keep it fresh and new every time you play it, without making it so random that you have no control over the outcome. It's the perfect blend. And now with its most recent expansion "Wind Gambits" the game has evolved anymore. But for newcomers, don't let the expansion intimidate you. I highly recommend playing the base game of Scythe for all it's worth (which is a TON) before worrying about playing with the expansion. I am an avid board gamer, and this is truly a one of a kind game that I have yet to become bored with, and I have yet to dice up into a science. Every single game will have you attempting new strategies, and exploring new options to declare yourself the victor. One of the most exciting parts of Scythe is that when the game ends, rarely will there ever be a distinct winner before the final points have been carefully calculated. There is a Scythe app on iOS and Android that I highly recommend downloading for deciding factions at the beginning of the game, and tallying score at the end. Without going into game play detail (I'll leave that to the rulebook) What I can say is that Scythe is, on the surface, a very complex game, but once you get your feet wet and play it, it really isn't too terrifying to learn. There's only so much you can do per turn, and once you run through it a few times, you begin to see the gears of the game click and turn, and you'll have a well running engine of a faction in no time! If you're just starting out with a group of people who are also new to the game, you're going to have your questions and missteps along the way where you might find you weren't playing certain rules down to their very exact intent, but this is perfectly fine. A lot of the fun in Scythe is discovering all the things you missed, or even may have been doing incorrectly, and changing up your game for the next time. For the most part, Scythe is an incredibly balanced game. If you get into a rhythm of playing with a core group of people, you'll start to realize the few imbalances it has *cough* Industrial Rusviet *cough* and learn to play around them. Again, figuring out what each faction is good at, how to make it work with your unique play mat, and formulate the best plan of attack, are just a few of the things that make Scythe such an immersive and brilliant game that will have you wanting to re-rack the game again and again. Hour and half to two-hour sessions seem like mere minutes when you really start grasp how fun the game is. If I had one gripe about the game, it would be the amount of players that can play. It's nice that Scythe can include 7 players, especially if you have a lot of board-game savvy friends who all want to be included. But be warned! 6 or 7-player games of Scythe tend to drag on, and when that happens, more often than not, one if not more people will lose interest, and thus become unenthused with the game. And nothing kills the fun of a game, like some one who is currently playing the game and not giving a crap about it. So if you have 6 or 7 brave souls willing to stick it out, it's best that all parties involved have a vast knowledge of the game, and indeed the actually WANT to play, knowing full well what they are signing up for. The sweet spot for Scythe, seems to be around the 4-5 player mark. The games are long enough that you don't feel cheated out of an epic board game experience, but short enough that the ADD in your friends doesn't start to show itself, and manifest into playing candy crush on their phones in between turns. Scythe is a massively wonderful game of strategy that I would absolutely suggest to any board game enthusiast looking to play one of the greatest games of all time. If new to board games, I would suggest watching several Scythe tutorials on the internet or playing with some one who has played before and has a good concept of the game. Again, it's complex, but not so much that I would say anyone wanting to learn the game, wouldn't be able to, regardless of their prior knowledge of board games. If you're willing to invest a little time to learn this game, you won't be disappointed!!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Don't fear the reaper and go get yourself this phenomenal game. It has mechs and pets.
*by J***S on June 22, 2021*

There is a reason this game is so high on the best of all time list on boardgamegeek. I've played a ton of games, some with very little luck involved (Puerto Rico) and some with great concepts/themes, but a little TOO much luck (like HeroScape). Scythe strikes a good balance between strategic planning and the random nature of their wartorn area in an alternate history. I'd probably call it a 4x game (Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate), but it feels like it does each of those concepts a little (or a lot) different than many other games out there. Combat plays out kind of like a bluffing game of poker. No dice rolling. Personally I like dice combat when it's balanced or has cards/abilities to offset pure randomness. So the combat took some getting used to, but there are pretty good incentives NOT to attack as well. Overall, it feels like you're doing your own thing with the occasional skirmish. That is apparently intentional and I like that. Terra Mystica is similar, but no combat at all in that game. Scythe is not an easy game to pick up and play. It's very easy to play the game incorrectly and sometimes the cards or rules are just vague. I had to look up a few things online when it was clear in the rulebook (or took too long). I think a lot of the confusion lies in the game design. The artwork is absolutely beautiful, but there needs to be clearer game icons and navigation. The biggest offenders are the faction/player mats and most of your time will be spent looking at these. There are symbols that don't really help define anything, can and can't actions that don't have a visually logical flow, and too much reliance on the rulebook. That last part sounds dumb, but I believe there should be visual reminders to the game's rules on the pieces, cards, and mats in front of you. One of the few games I've played that gives players a "turn order/what actions you can do" card that is almost worthless. There are also no "footstomps," in the rulebook. Important rules should be bolded, highlighted, have reminders, examples, etc. There is a terminology list at the back, but I found myself looking stuff up on my phone because it was a lot faster and the answer was clearer. One of our players struggled bad with the concept of producing since it shows that you "pay a worker" first. It's not very clear when/where/how to do something without reading the 30+ page rulebook. The inverse of that mildly bad gameflow design, is that once you get the general flow of the game, it can play pretty quickly. It took 3 of us 1 hr and 40 minutes the first time we played. Not bad considering they estimate 25 minutes per player. I know it sounds like quite a bit of complaining, but to me these are mild annoyances that are merely highlighted because the game is so fantastic.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review
*by H***L on February 21, 2021*

I already own Wingspan so was super eager to invest in more Stonemaier games, and this was on my wish list for a while. It was an excellent purchase. The artwork is stunning, the board and all the cards are exceptional quality/feel. You are paying for the brand and the quality. It’s not easy to learn- had to watch a couple of YouTube videos along the way as sometimes the instructions were heavy going/hard to visualise or understand what was meant to occur. But after the 2nd play through it suddenly clicked and became more enjoyable rather than a scramble of un-knowingness. The turn structure is similar to wingspan so if you have already played this- it will be easier to pick up and learn. I love the character variations and different abilities and the ways in which you can play the game. Looking forward to purchasing some expansions to add more depth to the game. Also: don’t be overwhelmed by the amount of items/cards/meeples you have to set up the game. It looks a lot but it is easy to pick up and learn what goes where.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Stonemaier Games: Scythe (Base Game) | an Engine-Building, Area Control Strategy Board Game Set in Dieselpunk 1920s Europe for Adults and Family | 1-5 Players, 115 Mins, Ages 14+
- Stonemaier Games: Scythe: Invaders from Afar Expansion | Add 2 New Factions to Scythe (Base Game) | Increase Scythe Player Count to 7 | 1-7 Players, 140 Mins, Ages 14+
- Stonemaier Games: Metal Coins (Scythe and Expeditions) | Metal Coins to Enhance Your Gameplay | 80 Coins with Unique Colors and Sides for Each Denomination - Values Include 1, 3, 5,10, and 20

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*Store origin: FR*
*Last updated: 2026-03-12*