Urban Sketchers
- Designer Jorge Tabanera Redondo
- Publisher DMZ Games
- Illustration Jorge Tabanera Redondo
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What to Expect
You play traveling artists who sketch urban scenes, collect resources and publish reports to earn money and prestige. Each round features a shared dice roll from which players take turns selecting dice to travel, gain resources, buy cards, play illustrations into a sketchbook, or publish reports. The game continues until a player-count dependent number of reports have been published and rewards careful planning.
Who Is This Game For?
For hobby gamers: Urban Sketchers is a mid-weight eurogame with strategic resource management and engine-building elements. With 2–4 players and about 90 minutes playtime, it suits groups who enjoy tactical, longer sessions and are comfortable with drafting and set-collection mechanics. Recommended age 12+.
How It Works
Each round a set of dice is rolled and players choose dice in turn (Open Drafting). Chosen dice enable actions like travel (Point to Point Movement), gaining resources, buying and playing cards, or publishing. Core mechanics include Open Drafting, Worker Placement with Dice Workers, Set Collection and End Game Bonuses; players build their sketchbook engine and time publications for points.
What Makes It Special
Designed and illustrated by Jorge Tabanera Redondo and published by DMZ Games, Urban Sketchers uses dice as workers within an art‑themed framework (Theme: Art, Painting / Paintings). The mix of Open Drafting and dice‑based worker placement gives a distinct decision space compared to standard worker-placement games.
Pro
- Unique combination of dice-as-workers and open drafting
- Artistic theme integrated with set-collection and publishing
- Mid-weight complexity suitable for hobby groups
- Supports 2–4 players for different group sizes
Contra
- Around 90 minutes per game requires dedicated time
- No solo mode (minimum 2 players)
- Learning curve for dice-worker and drafting interaction
Setting & atmosphere
The theme centers on urban sketching and traveling to cities worldwide (Theme: Art / Painting). Players act as traveling artists compiling reports from different urban scenes.
Tips for beginners
Focus on straightforward sketchbook combinations and maintain consistent dice choices; reserve resources for timely publications.
Frequently asked questions
Can I play this solo?
No. Minimum player count is 2; there is no solo mode.
How long does a game really take?
Listed playtime is about 90 minutes; expect longer when learning the game or with discussion-heavy groups.
What prior experience do I need?
Some familiarity with drafting, set collection or worker-placement helps; it's a mid-weight eurogame.
How does this compare to similar games?
Urban Sketchers blends Open Drafting with Worker Placement with Dice Workers and Set Collection within an art/travel theme, creating different planning tensions than pure worker-placement titles.
Is this suitable for families?
With a minimum age of 12 and 90-minute sessions, it fits families who enjoy longer, strategic games rather than casual family play.
What mechanic makes it special?
The core standout is the Worker Placement with Dice Workers combined with Open Drafting.
Fazit
Urban Sketchers is a good pick for players who like euro-style planning with dice choice and set collection and can commit to ~90 minutes. Not suitable if you want short casual plays.
