Savonlinna 2014

"Get to know the history of Savonlinna and its environs through playing"

In this Afrikan Tähti-like Finnish game centered on the eastern Finland city of Savonlinna, players travel around the town both on land and on lake Saimaa, flipping tokens that can either help or hinder them on the way, in search of the one special Note Key token; whenever a player finds this, a race back to the town begins, and the one to get there first is the winner. Main differences to Afrikan Tähti besides the map are that some of the tokens have longer-lasting and more powerful effects, the lack of flight routes, and that there is no "Horseshoe" piece that would be required to win at the end instead of the "Star", it is a simple race.

Modern history of Savonlinna begins in 1475 when the Olavinlinna castle was built on a small island in the strategic Kyrönsalmi strait on lake Saimaa, guarding what was then the eastern border of the Swedish empire. The settlement that sprung up nearby got town rights in 1639. The Note Key is an obvious reference to what Savonlinna is internationally most famous for; the Savonlinna Opera Festival, held annually each July. The back of the rules sheet gives a short description of the major attractions and landmarks in and around the city.