Z-Man Games has announced that it has acquired worldwide English Language rights to Terra Mystica, a fascinating and complex civilization-building game that was a huge hit at the 2012 Essen game where all 1,000 copies were sold out by Saturday morning.  Z-Man plans to release its English language version of the game in the first quarter of 2013, so North American fans should be able to play this exciting and challenging game in the very near future.
 
Designed by Jens Drogemuller and Hlege Ostertag, Terra Mystica is an elaborate economic-based Euro-style board game that prioritizes strategy over luck.  In the world of Terra Mystica there are 14 different "factions" (mermaids, dwarves, giants, fakirs, nomads, Alchemists, etc.) who live in seven different landscapes.  Each player in the game is in charge of one faction and must attempt to terraform neighboring landscapes to accommodate the proclivities and abilities of his or her faction.  Players attempt to secure the maximum amount of territory, but they have to use their resources wisely. 

Designed for 2-5 players (ages 12 and up), Terra Mystica poses numerous challenges for players, who first must decide whether they want to pick a faction with a close territorial neighboring group (which provides both players with extra power, but makes expanding more difficult), or if they want to lead a more remote group, which means that the players will have to master the ability to move their faction through the often rugged terrain of Terra Mystica.