Luthier: The Approachable Big Box Game Everyone's Talking About

About Luthier, from BoardGameGeek:

Luthier transports players to the height of classical music in Western Europe, when the art of the instrument was upheld equally by skilled craftspeople, noble patrons, virtuoso performers, and famous composers such as Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. Using a new, unique combination of hidden bidding and worker placement, players manage resources to craft various musical instruments in their workshop, while also courting actual historic patrons through an ever-changing personal tableau of actions and bonuses. Each player chooses how to balance improving skills across multiple tracks, unlocking specialized worker abilities and other bonuses. The choice to concentrate on varying gameplay strategies and goals, such as musical performances, instrument building and repairs, apprentice training and workshop expansion, and overall reputation as an instrument maker, provide multiple paths to victory. Luthier finds true harmony through an authentic and original marriage of theme and mechanisms, resulting in a rich gameplay experience that equally speaks to both the strategic gamer and the classical music lover. -description from the publisher