What is the objective of the game Scythe?

The objective of the game Scythe is to lead a faction in an alternate-history 1920s Europe, expand your empire, gain resources, and achieve maximum prosperity and power. Scythe, designed by Jamey Stegmaier and published by Stonemaier Games, is a highly strategic board game that combines elements of resource management, area control, and engine building.

In Scythe, players take on the roles of factions competing for control over the land of "Europa." Each faction possesses unique abilities and a giant, industrialized mech called a "character." The game is set in an alternate history where agriculture, technology, and warfare have developed at an extraordinary pace.

The core gameplay revolves around expanding your faction's influence, building structures, harvesting resources, and engaging in encounters with other factions. The objective is to accumulate the most victory points, which can be earned through various means.

To achieve victory in Scythe, players must carefully manage their resources and plan their actions strategically. The game board represents the fictional Europa, divided into hexagonal spaces with different terrains and resources. Players must control and harvest these resources, such as food, metal, oil, and wood, to develop their empires.

Players can deploy workers to gather resources, construct buildings, and gain control over territories. They can also move their character and their mech across the board, expanding their influence and engaging in combat or encounters with other factions. By establishing control over territories, players gain access to more resources and opportunities for expansion.

Scythe also incorporates an engine-building aspect, where players can upgrade their factions' abilities and technologies by spending resources. Upgrades enable players to enhance their efficiency, increase production, and unlock special abilities, providing a strategic advantage over opponents.

Combat in Scythe is deterministic, meaning that the outcome is based on the relative strength of the factions involved and the tactical decisions made. Engaging in combat allows players to gain territory, resources, and potentially earn additional victory points.

While accumulating victory points is essential, Scythe also encourages players to focus on other goals, such as completing objectives specific to their factions or fulfilling encounters with non-player-controlled factions known as "encounter cards." These objectives and encounters add depth and variety to the gameplay, providing players with additional avenues to earn points and shape their strategies.

Scythe offers multiple paths to victory, allowing players to pursue different strategies based on their faction's abilities, resource management, and interaction with other players. The game encourages both direct confrontation and peaceful expansion, giving players the freedom to choose their approach.

The game concludes when one player places all six of their stars on the achievement track, representing significant milestones in their faction's progress. At that point, the game ends, and the player with the most victory points is declared the winner.

In summary, the objective of Scythe is to lead a faction to prosperity and power in an alternate-history Europe. Players strive to accumulate victory points through resource management, territory control, combat, objectives, and encounters. The game offers deep strategic gameplay, a richly detailed world, and multiple paths to victory, making each playthrough a unique and immersive experience.