Favelas

About this board game

Favelas is a fast-moving tile-laying game for 2–4 players that takes about 45 minutes to play. Set in the iconic favelas of Rio de Janeiro, it focuses on the beautification of stacked, ever-evolving neighborhoods.

These neighborhoods are home to many people who stand to benefit from an infusion of funding, modernization, and beauty. As the game develops, players build the colorful vision of a changing favela while paying attention to the shifting priorities of the council responsible for approving the funding.

The council is fickle, however, and continually returns with notes that alter the value of the colors used in the beautification. A color that matters at one point may become less valuable later, creating a changing landscape of priorities throughout the game.

• Tile-laying gameplay centered on the beautification of Rio’s favelas
• Three rounds of evolving values and changing council preferences
• Ongoing attention to opponents’ majorities and to colors being devalued—or not

Played over three rounds, Favelas combines a lively theme with Euro-style decision-making. Players must keep watching the majorities their opponents are pursuing, while also tracking which colors the council is currently valuing or devaluing.

With its shifting color values and constantly changing notes from the council, the game keeps the focus moving from one part of the neighborhood to another. Favelas offers a compact, engaging experience for players who enjoy tile-laying and evolving competition over majorities.