In Attika, players attempt to be the first to connect two temples via a string of buildings placed onto a map made of hexagonal tiles. If this doesn't occur, the first player to place all of their buildings on the board wins the game. While more complex than Cartagena, it is still simple enough to grasp for pre-teen players, but where this game really shines is in two-player gameplay. Players begin with four stacks of buildings and a city grid that explains how the buildings can be connected. On a turn, a player has two choices: either draw two buildings from a stack and play them onto the board or onto their city grid, or that player may place three buildings already drawn and saved on their city grid. To place a building onto the board, the player must place it next to the appropriate resources, if there aren't enough resources in the preferred location, players must make up the resource difference with resource cards from their hand. Additional resource cards can be drawn by forfeiting one or more of a player's turn actions. The buildings are sorted into groups and have a building order. If built in the correct order and placed next to the appropriate building on the board, a building can be placed for free. It is forward planning like this (and interfering with each other's plans) that is the heart of the strategic decisions available within the game. With three or four players the game has a fair bit of blocking and player-player interference, not unexpected from this style of game. Where the game particularly shines, is as a two-player game. With no direct conflict, the game is not a typical zero-sum two player game where one player must lose something for another player to gain. Since both are placing building tiles, attempting to form their city or connect the two temples, the game turns into more of a race with some friendly jostling for position, rather than a cutthroat direct conflict. The game can be explained in about 15 minutes and can be played in about an hour, making it a great game for a short evening at home with your spouse or significant other. Without any direct conflict, Attika is a very family-friendly game. While players can hinder each other in moderate ways, the focus is on furthering one's own objectives, keeping sibling rivalry issues in the background. Attika requires some basic decision-making skills, but is simple enough to explain to more thoughtful grade school students. The game teaches planning and resource management, great practice for more complex games that might be played at a later age.