Sweet Lands

Sweet Lands

**Sweet Lands** caught my attention with its whimsical theme — building a candy kingdom! Beneath the sugar coating, though, there’s a surprisingly crunchy city-building eurogame. You’re juggling resources, constructing confectionary buildings, and competing for the best combos of citizens and sweets. I enjoyed how turns feel quick but consequential; every placement matters. The artwork is colorful and inviting, and my group actually laughed at how cutthroat a game about desserts could get. The mid-game tension over limited spaces is delightful. That said, Sweet Lands isn’t as light as it looks. There’s a lot to track, and a few players found the iconography confusing at first. Some luck in the card draws can swing your progress, and the theme (while cute) can feel pasted onto what’s otherwise a serious optimization puzzle. It’s a fun mid-weight strategy game hidden under a whimsical exterior. I’d give it a **7/10** — sweet, but with a dense core that not everyone will crave.