I was offered a review copy of Nile DeLuxor from Minion Games. Since I really like the original Nile, I was quick to take the offer.

This new edition takes a good game and makes it even better. What’s different?

• Proper box. Nothing too large, but the cards fit in, even sleeved. Good insert.
• Proper cards. The original game had really, really bad cards. These can survive play without sleeves.
• More cards for 5 and 6 players. Two new types of goods, one is added with five players and both are added with six. Stripping the deck is easier with 2-4 players.
• Monument expansion. New type of goods, stone, which allows you to build monuments that give small bonuses.

The monuments are fun. The Obelisk, for example, lets you draw three cards instead of two every turn. Small, but significant difference. Spices up the game nice.

I haven’t played Nile with more than three players, but I’ve heard the original version wasn’t the best with five or so. I’d guess the new version is better, with more goods available. I’ll have to try some day, but for me, Nile is still mostly a quick filler for two or three players. With the new box and all, I’m going to carry Nile along a bit more than before, when I had the sleeved cards in a ziploc bag.

I had a surprise chance to play Nile last week, when my son had a friend over. The friend’s dad came along and I got him to try Nile, as I had just received DeLuxor the same day. He loved the game and we played three games in a row and would’ve played more, except it was already getting late. We used monuments from the first game, as they’re not that complicated and I think they really add to the game.

Nile DeLuxor makes a good game even better. Nile is a good game, particularly as a swift filler with two or three players.