Oliva (engl.)

Description

Oliva is a children's game for 1 to 4 players aged 8+. Manage an olive farm by harvesting, pressing, and selling olive oil using action cards that grow in power based on all players' boards. Set in mid-20th century Mediterranean regions, the game highlights traditional production methods and historical olive oil trade dynamics.

In Oliva, you take on the role of a farmer striving to become the most successful olive oil producer in the region. Manage your farm by harvesting olives, pressing them into olive oil, and selling your products to markets around the world. On your turn, you select and reveal action cards to perform their corresponding tasks. The power of your actions grows depending on the cards displayed on all players' boards, adding strategic depth to each choice. The game unfolds over a set number of rounds depending on the number of players. After the final round, the farmer with the most victory points is declared the winner. Oliva captures the rich history of olive oil production, dating back to Visigothic times when laws protected olive trees. Arabic influence expanded cultivation, and the word al-zait developed into modern terms like Azeite in Portuguese and Aceite in Spanish. Portugal’s olive oil industry became a major export force, gaining international recognition at the 1889 Paris Exposition. The 20th century brought industrialization to olive farming, with the 1950s marking a golden era characterized by rapid expansion and high yields, despite the continued presence of small-scale farms. Export markets flourished in Asia, the USA, and Europe, supported by Portuguese diaspora and colonial trade. As industrialization advanced, many farmers shifted to more profitable crops such as potatoes and wine grapes, causing a decline in olive cultivation until the early 21st century. Today, the Mediterranean region remains the world’s hub for olive oil, producing 95% of the global supply. Oliva highlights 1950s and 1960s Portuguese olive oil production, featuring traditional water-powered stone mills and hand-operated presses. The game honors the farmers’ skill and dedication through authentic depiction of techniques using sisal mats, stone basins, and furnace-heated water to extract the precious oil. The game also reflects traditional olive oil production in North Africa, especially in Morocco and Tunisia during the 1950s. There, many small producers used age-old pressing methods passed through generations, creating robust, peppery oils from native olive varieties adapted to the arid Mediterranean climate. By combining traditional and emerging production methods, Oliva showcases the productivity of small olive groves still found on Portugal’s hillsides, illustrating the breadth and quality of Mediterranean olive oil production. It also mirrors the rise of Spain’s production nearing that of Italy, with Greece and Turkey closely following.

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