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The officials in the Forbidden City are accustomed to receiving bribes, but the new Emperor is trying to stamp out corruption. So instead of outright bribes, those seeking influence engage in a custom of gift exchange with these officials — and everyone pretends not to notice that one gift is substantially more valuable than the other…
What Is Gùgōng?
Gùgōng is a worker placement game with a twist for 1 to 5 for players, ages 12 and up, and takes about 60–90 minutes to play. Gùgōng was funded through Kickstarter in May 2018 by Game Brewer in partnership with Tasty Minstrel Games, who distributes the game in the US. The game was shipped to backers earlier this year, and is now available in game stores and online for a retail price of $59.95. The game can be a bit daunting for less experienced players, so I would probably stick with the age recommendation of 12 and up based on the complexity; the theme is appropriate for younger players (though it does involve some quasi-legal alternatives to bribery).
A Note About the Setting
The title of the game was originally The Forbidden City, but midway through the Kickstarter campaign, Game Brewer had to change the title due to another game being published by the title Forbidden City. They had considered changing to The Forbidden Palace, but…
