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|  Sparta | | | | | |
| SIMPLE GAME OF CAPTURING OPPONENT PIECES
In the strategic game Sparta, set in 228 B.C., you will relive the fascinating experience of skillful Spartan and Achaean warriors. Will Sparta seize power, or will the Achaeans maintain their stance?
Designer Yannick Holtkamp developed this strategic game at the age of 12. Still at school at age 14 in late 2011, he is enrolled as a science student at the University of Düsseldorf.
The game is played on a 10x10 grid. Each player starts with a row of eight fighters on their side of the board. In the middle rows of the board, there are eight cities - each player owns four of these.
Each turn, a player may move one of their fighters up to two squares in any direction, changing direction between the moves if so desired.
If the fighter ends its turn in one of his own cities, he is promoted to a hero, and may move up to three squares on future turns.
If the fighter ends its turn on an opposing city, the city is conquered; it now belongs to the player that conquered it.
If, after the move, there are pieces trapped in between two opposing pieces, they are captured and removed from the board. Pieces are trapped if they are between pieces of the other side along a horizontal, vertical or diagonal row without a vacant square in between.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 10
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 2
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2011 |
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| Punct | | | | | |
| A GAME OF CONNECTION
PÜNCT, the fifth released game by design in project GIPF, is a connection game.
The goal is to connect two opposite sides of the board. A players turn consists of either bringing a new piece into play or moving one already on the board.
This game is part of project GIPF.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 10
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 2
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2005 |
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| Tzaar | | | | | |
| A GAME OF CAPTURE AND STACKING
TZAAR is a game about making choices. Both players have 30 pieces, divided in three types: 6 Tzaars, 9 Tzarras and 15 Totts. The 3 types of pieces form a trinity: They cannot exist without each other. The aim is either to make the opponent run out of one of the three types of pieces or to put him in a position in which he cannot capture anymore. The tricky question the players will have to ask themselves on each of their turns is: “Shall I make myself stronger or my opponent weaker?” Meaning: Will you capture an opponent’s piece and make him weaker, or will you jump on top of one of your own pieces and make yourself stronger? If you choose to jump on top of your own pieces too often, you will probably leave your opponent with too many pieces on the board. On the other hand, if you capture too often, you may end up with pieces that are not strong enough at the end of the game. What to do? Up to you to decide!
TZAAR is the most recent game in project GIPF, replacing TAMSK which was felt to not quite fit in with the others due to its use of sand timers.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 8
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 4
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2007 |
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| Yomi | | | | | |
| PREDICTING FIGHTING WITH ATTACK, SPECIAL MOVES, COMBO, DODGE, BLOCK AND THROW
Yomi is a card game that simulates a fighting game. It tests your ability to predict how your opponents will act and your ability to judge the relative value of cards from one situation to the next. Also, it lets you do fun combos and be a panda. There are 10 characters to choose from, each with their own deck, abilities, and style. Each deck also doubles as a regular deck of playing cards with beautiful artwork (the complete game features a whopping 120 different character illustrations).
Yomi is the Japanese word for “reading”, in this case as in reading the mind of your opponent. Yomi: Fighting Card Game is a simple competitive card game that simulates a fight between two characters. Each deck in Yomi represents one character, with 10 decks in the first release.
Champion fighting game tournament player and tournament organizer David Sirlin designed the game to test the skills of Valuation and Yomi. Valuation refers to your ability to judge the relative value of moves (or cards) as they change over the course of the game. Yomi, the games title, refers to your ability to guess which moves your opponent will make. There is more to it than guessing, though: some players have the uncanny ability to “guess” right almost every time, no matter the game.
The core mechanic is a paper-rock-scissors guessing game between attack, throw, and blockdodge (sometimes modified by special ability cards). Attacks and throws usually let you follow up with combo cards from your hand, while blocks let you draw a card. While it first seems just random, you soon discover that the unequal and uncertain payoffs in this guessing game allow you really read what the opponent will do. Yomi captures the kind of mind games that occur during the high level in fighting game tournaments.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 10
Category1: Cards
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2011 |
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| YINSH | | | | | |
| A GAME OF FLIPPING
The players each start with 5 rings on the board. Every time a ring is moved, it leaves a marker behind. Markers are white on one side and black on the other. When markers are jumped over by a ring they must be flipped, so their color is constantly changing. The players must try to form a row of 5 markers with their own color face up. If a player succeeds in doing so, he removes one of his rings as an indication that he has formed such a row. The first player to remove 3 of his rings wins the game. In other words, each row you make brings you closer to victory-but also makes you weaker, because you have one fewer ring to play with. Very tricky!
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 9
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2003 |
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| Gipf | | | | | |
| A GAME OF PUSHING
GIPF is a strategic game for two players based on a classic concept: in turns, players introduce one piece into play until achieving four-in a-row. Players then remove their row and capture any of their opponents pieces which extend that row. This principle of capturing pieces creates each time again completely changed situations on the board. The purpose is to form successive rows of at least 4 pieces, until the opponent has no piece left to bring into play.
GIPF is not only the name of a game, but of a project as well. This project concerns a group of games and extra pieces that will follow step by step. Each game of the project will be playable either separately, or, by means of extra pieces, in combination with GIPF. It concerns a system that makes winning or losing GIPF-related games a strategic factor of the game GIPF itself.
This game is part of project GIPF.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 9
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 1997 |
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| Arimaa | | | | | |
| A CHESS-ALIKE GAME WITH A TWIST
Arimaa, pronounced ah-REE-ma is a modern strategy game that simulates a sport similar to Rugby or Football (American style) but without the ball. Instead of getting a ball to the end zone the team tries to help their smallest player reach the end zone. The other team is also trying to do the same thing at the same time. The first team to get their smallest player to the end zone wins the game. As the coach of the team you are the mastermind behind the teams strategy and must guide them to victory.
The game is played on a field divided into an 8x8 grid of 64 squares. The two teams have 16 players each; with one team being gold and the other silver. The players are assigned positions based on their size. Animal names are used for the positions. Each team has 1 elephant, 1 camel, 2 horses, 2 dogs, 2 cats and 8 rabbits; from largest to smallest in size. Any one of the eighth rabbit players needs to reach the end zone to win the game.
There are four muddy spots on the field called traps. They are located at c3, f3, c6 and f6. Players may stand or cross through the traps so long as a teammate is adjacent to the trap. A player that is on a trap and has no teammate adjacent for support will slip and fall into the the mud and has to sit out the rest of the game.
A team that has lost all the rabbit players loses the game (by elimination). A team that cannot make a move at all also loses the game (by immobilization).
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 10
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 2
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2002 |
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| Kings Valley | | | | | |
| SIMPLE GAME OF MOVING
Kings Valley is a very simple and easy game to play. This is because all the pieces move the same. Any piece can move straight horizontal, vertical or diagonal, but always as far as possible. Pieces always stop their movement either at the sides of the board or before another tile in the same row, column, or diagonal.
The winner is the first player that manages to move his king piece to the central square of the board, which represents the Kings Valley.
The game is played on a 5 by 5 board with the center square representing the Kings Valley. Players start with 5 pieces on opposites sites of the board, with the center pieces being the kings.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 0
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2006 |
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| Abalone | | | | | |
| THE POWER OF PUSHING IN A GROUP
This beautiful and functional board has room for two teams of large marbles. Players take turns pushing the marbles around the board, with the goal of pushing six of the opposing players marbles off the board. The central idea is that a column of marbles has weight given by the number of marbles in line. Someone will need to push with a heavier group of marbles in order to push the column along that axis. However, with six possible directions, its difficult to defend yourself perfectly. Also, its possible to play the game with up to six players when supplemental marble sets are purchased.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 7
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 2
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 1987 |
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| Mr Jack | | | | | |
| CAT AND MOUSE GAME OF DEDUCTION
One of the two players represents Jack the Ripper, who will be one of the 8 characters on the board. This player knows the identity of this character and his goal is to flee from the district as soon as possible (or avoid being accused for eight turns). The other player represents an independent investigator (not represented on the board) who tries to guess the identity of Jack. But he can make only one accusation during the game!
During each turn the players move the characters, using their special powers, placing them either in shadow or light. At the end of each turn, the witnesses declare if Jack is visible (in light, or adjacent to another character) or not (alone in the shadows). This allows the investigator to know which characters are innocent. This continues as the investigator tries to eliminate suspects while Jack tries to escape. Intuition, logic and cold blood will be necessary for each of the two participants.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 9
Category1: Deduction
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2006 |
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| Mr Jack in New York | | | | | |
| CAT AND MOUSE GAME OF DEDUCTION
Stand alone variant of Mr. Jack. As in Mr. Jack, one player takes the role of Mr. Jack, the other takes a role of a Detective. But there are new possibilities - gaslights and manholes are represented by pawns which can be moved.
The game takes place in Manhattan, and surrounding water is very important for escape of Mr. Jack.
Characters will have new powers and there will be also a police spy, who will be able to get valuable information.
This version of the game is more strategic and complex so it is suitable for more advanced players.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 10
Category1: Deduction
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2009 |
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| Mr Jack Pocket | | | | | |
| CAT AND MOUSE GAME OF DEDUCTION
It has been found again by Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc with Mr.Jack Pocket, the small card game derived from Mr. Jack. The board is replaced by a square grid made of nine street cards. The suspects, and among them Mr.Jack, are pictured on the cards. Holmes, Watson and a dog are turning around the grid, a system already used by Bruno Cathala in several games, and can “look” at the streets in a row or column. Every round, like in Mr.Jack, four actions are available. The first player selects one, his opponent two, and the first player then uses the last remaining action. Actions allow moving a detective one or two spaces clockwise around the grid, turning a card in order to change the view of the streets, swapping two street cards or drawing an alibi card. At the end of the round, Mr.Jack states if he can be seen by one of the detectives. Of course, the detectives must identify Jack, who must stay hidden long enough to escape.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 10
Category1: Deduction
Category2:
Rating: 2
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2010 |
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| Hive Carbon | | | | | |
| SURROUND THE OPPONENTS QUEEN WITHOUT BREAKING THE HIVE
Hive is a highly addictive strategic game for two players that is not restricted by a board and can be played anywhere on any flat surface. Hive is made up of twenty two pieces, eleven black and eleven white, resembling a variety of creatures each with a unique way of moving.
With no setting up to do, the game begins when the first piece is placed down. As the subsequent pieces are placed this forms a pattern that becomes the playing surface (the pieces themselves become the board). Unlike other such games, the pieces are never eliminated and not all have to be played. The object of the game is to totally surround your opponents queen, while at the same time trying to block your opponent from doing likewise to your queen. The player to totally surround his opponents queen wins the game.
Hive Carbon comes with the mosquito and lady-bug expansion in the package.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 9
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 5
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2001 |
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| Hive Portable or Original | | | | | |
| SURROUND THE OPPONENTS QUEEN WITHOUT BREAKING THE HIVE
Hive is a highly addictive strategic game for two players that is not restricted by a board and can be played anywhere on any flat surface. Hive is made up of twenty two pieces, eleven black and eleven white, resembling a variety of creatures each with a unique way of moving.
With no setting up to do, the game begins when the first piece is placed down. As the subsequent pieces are placed this forms a pattern that becomes the playing surface (the pieces themselves become the board). Unlike other such games, the pieces are never eliminated and not all have to be played. The object of the game is to totally surround your opponents queen, while at the same time trying to block your opponent from doing likewise to your queen. The player to totally surround his opponents queen wins the game.
Hive (original) do NOT comes with the mosquito and lady-bug expansion, but the Portable version comes with these 2 pieces in the package.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 9
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2001 |
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| Khet 2.0 | | | | | |
| A GAME OF REFLECTION
Khet is a two-player chesslike game that combines lasers with classic strategy. Players alternate turns moving Egyptian-themed pieces having two, one or no mirrored surfaces. All four types of pieces (pharaoh, Anubis, pyramid and scarab) can either move one square forward, back, left, right, or diagonal, or stay in the same square and rotate by a quarter twist. Each turn ends by firing the real laser diode built into each players Sphinx piece. The laser beam bounces from mirror to mirror; if the beam strikes a non-mirrored surface on any piece, it is immediately removed from play. The ultimate goal is to illuminate your opponents pharaoh, while shielding yours from harm!
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 8
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 5
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2011 |
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| Lion Heart | | | | | |
| LIGHT WAR GAME WITH SOLIDER MINIATURES AND DIE ROLLING
Lionheart is a simple wargame that is like chess but with dice rolls that determine the success or failure of a capture move. There are seven different units: King, Knight, Archer, Heavy Infantry, Infantry, Mercenary, and Peasant. Each turn players can perform any 2 actions: move, turn, or attack. Foot units move one square forward per action. Mounted units move as many unblocked squares in front of them as they like. Units attack the square they are facing (archers attack an area of squares in front of them). Attacks are resolved by rolling the combat dice. Each appropriate symbol rolled (axes or arrows) counts as a hit. Scoring more hits than the target has hit points removes some of the units (miniatures) from the target army. The winner is the player who eliminates his opponents King or eliminates every other warrior in his opponents army leaving the King standing alone on the field of battle.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 8
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2: War Strategy
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 1997 |
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| Kahuna | | | | | |
| TWO PLAYERS GAME OF QUICK AREA CONTROL
Originally published in 1997 as ArabanaIkibiti by the designers own publisher Bambus Spieleverlag then reprinted by Funagain in the US Kosmos Kahuna – part of its Kosmos twoplayer series – is the best known implementation of this design
Its a twoplayer game played on a board depicting twelve islands Players use cards to place bridges between these islands or remove opponents bridges If you get the majority of bridges around an island you place one of your marker stones on it and also remove any of your opponents bridges to that island – which might cause them to lose a bridge majority on an adjacent island and lose a marker stone there
The game is played in three rounds A round ends when all cards from the face down deck and the three face up cards have been taken Then points are scored for the islands with a marker stone on them The game can also end sooner when one player has absolutely NO bridges left on the board
The Kosmos edition has excellent graphics and nice wooden pieces and plays very well
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 10
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2: Area Control
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 1998 |
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| Pentago | | | | | |
| FIVE-IN-A-ROW WITH A TURNING MOVE
An abstract strategy game for 2 players with four 3×3 grids arranged into a larger 6×6 grid This game reimplements the well known connect 4 with a twist after placing a marble of his colour the player has to twist one of the grids by 90° so changing the board after every turn The first player to get 5 in a row wins
There are two slightly different editions available
The birch one allows the corner to be lifted and then turned while the redwhite plastic one has a pullout turn pushback mechanism
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 6
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2005 |
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| RRR | | | | | |
| BATTLE BASED ON CARD POSITIONING ON BOARD
RRR (Regality vs. Religion: Revolution) is an advanced version of the basic game RR designed by Seiji Kanai
RR is a two-player full-information abstract game. Both players have the same set of pawns. The players take turns placing pawns on a 3x3 square playing field. Each pawn placed will either turn or destroy one or more of the pawns surrounding it. A game is finished when all nine squares are filled with pawns. At that time, the winner is the holder of most pawns which are facing in ones own direction.
RRR introduces new pawns to the game. At the start of the game, five neutral pawns are randomly selected from a stack of 11, which are available to both players, adding variation to each game.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 10
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 4
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2010 |
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| Lost Cities | | | | | |
| LINK UP TO SCORE FOR VICTORY
Lost Cities is a card game in the Kosmos two-player series. The game consists of a single deck of cards of rank 2-10 in 5 different colors with 3 special handshakes in each suit. There is also a board which only functions to hold and organize discarded cards and is largely superfluous. Games last around 15 minutes and this is generally considered a good couples game and is often recommended for people with non-gamer partners.
The object the game is to gain points by mounting profitable archeaological expeditions to the different sites represented by the 5 colors. On a players turn they must always first play one card, either to an expedition or by discarding it to the appropriate discard pile, and then draw one card. There is a seperate discard pile for each color and a player may draw the top card of any discard pile or the top card of the deck. Cards played to expeditions must be in ascending order but they need not be consecutive. Handshakes (HS) are considered lower than a 2 and represent investments in an expedition. Thus, if you play a red 4, you may play any other red card higher than a 4 on a future turn but may no longer play a handshake, the 2, or the 3.
The game continues in this fashion with players alternating turns until the final card is taken from the draw pile. The rest of the cards in hand are then discarded and players score their expeditions. Each expedition that has at least one card played into it must be scored. Cards played into an expedition are worth their rank in points and handshakes count as a multiplier against your final total. Expeditions start at a value of -20 so you must play at least 20 points of cards into an expedition in order to make a profit. If you are left with a negative value and have a handshake the multiplier still applies. A 20 point bonus is awarded to every expedition with at least 8 cards played into it. The player with the most points wins the game, but it is typical to play 3 matches and add your score from each to see who wins.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 10
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2: Luck driven
Rating: 2
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 1999 |
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| Line of Action | | | | | |
| CONNECT A LINE
Lines of Action is a simple game that uses checkers board and pieces. Its rules were published in Sid Sacksons A Gamut of Games. There are some commercial versions available though.
The object of LoA is to get all your pieces into a single connected group. A group of pieces is connected if they occupy an unbroken chain of adjacent spaces, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 10
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 2
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 1903 |
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| Dvoon | | | | | |
| A GAME OF TOWERS
DVONN is played on an elongated hexagonal board, with 23 white, 23 black and 3 red DVONN-pieces. In the beginning the board is empty. The players first place the DVONN-pieces on the board and next to their own pieces. Then they start stacking pieces on top of each other. A single piece may be moved 1 space in any direction, a stack of two pieces may be moved two spaces, etc. A stack must always be moved as a whole and a move must always end on top of another piece or stack. If pieces or stacks lose contact with the DVONN-pieces, they must be removed from the board. The game ends when no more moves can be made. The players put the stacks they control on top of each other and the one with the highest stack is the winner.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 9
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 2
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2001 |
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| Magestorm | | | | | |
| SCENARIO-BASED TWO PLAYERS FANTASY WAR GAME
Enter a world of high magic and bloody melees with Magestorm! Magestorm is a new fantasy board game series where you will finally be able to play fantasy battles as you dream them to be. Powerful magicians wielding god-like powers will call storms of fire from the sky, move hills, raze woods, invoke fear into the hearts of hundreds of enemies. At the same time, mighty armies will clash on the field of battle, and victory can only be achieved by the perfect combination of magic-using and military skill.
With top-level components and incredible replayability provided by the combination of different armies, mages, and scenarios, the first boxed set of Magestorm is just the beginning of an endless series of fantasy battles.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 12
Category1: Scenario Based
Category2: War Strategy
Rating: 4
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2010 |
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| Blue Lion | | | | | |
| A GAME OF MEMORY AND STRATEGY
A valuable diamond – the Blue Lion – is on display at the Louvre and two thieves, Arsène Lupin Lupin and Lady X, both want to steal it.
The Blue Lion is played using six tiles. Each tile shows an icon on both the front and back: Lupin, Lady X, the Blue Lion diamond, or a police inspector. Each combination of two icons occurs once. One player plays as Lupin, the other as Lady X. During set-up, these tiles are arranged in a row. In turn, the players take one tile and add it to the front or the back of the line, without looking at the back of the tile. After this set-up, the players try to score points by creating special combinations of tiles. Each turn, a player can perform one of three actions to change the line:
Switch two adjacent tiles.
Move a tile that is on one end of the line to the other end of the line.
Flip a tile.
If this action results in a scoring combination of three tiles, the player scores points. The combinations are:
Sandwiching a tile showing the opponent by two tiles showing police inspectors: 1 point.
Sandwiching a tile showing the Blue Lion by two tiles showing the players character: 2 points.
Creating a row of three tiles showing the Blue Lion: 3 points.
After a combination has been formed, the middle tile of the combination is removed. The opposing player then adds it to one end of the line, although he cannot score points by doing so.
The first player to score seven points wins.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 8
Category1: Memory
Category2: Abstract Strategy
Rating: 2
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2011 |
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| Jab Realtime Boxing | | | | | |
| REAL TIME STRATEGY
JAB is a skill-centric strategic boxing card game. In JAB, you get direct control over your boxers fists, providing an experience as close as possible to real boxing without getting punched in the face. JAB is played in real-time, meaning there are no turns.
Winning the game
To win the game, get a knockout by throwing staggering haymakers at your opponent until he eats canvas, or strategically win more rounds than your opponent by impressing the judges with your beautiful technique.
How is JAB different?
JAB attempts to innovate the real-time genre by challenging a player to be constantly making decisions, rather than simply recognizing patterns or performing calculations. The game also measures your ability to calmly manage your focus in a chaotic situation.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 10
Category1: Real Time
Category2: Cards
Rating: 4
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2011 |
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| Chinese Chess - Xiangqi | | | | | |
| WORLD BEST KNOWN ABSTRACT CHINESE STRATEGY GAME
XiangQi is one of the most played board games in the world. Translated loosely as elephant game, the name of XiangQi may have first been recorded in Songs of Chu during the 4th century BC of early China; in the state of Qi during the Warring State Period, the name XiangQi meant ivory Liubo pieces, not modern XiangQi played by Chinese. The modern Xiangqi set dates back to the Tang dynasty.
Based closely on ancient Chinese military strategy, XiangQi draws comparisons to European Chess, and indeed, both are descended from the ancient Indian game of Chaturanga.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 8
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 5
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2014 |
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| Magnet | | | | | |
| MOVING ONLY PIECE FOR BOTH SIDES
Magnet won 2010 Runner Up Abstract Game of the Year in Games Magazine.
An abstract game where players try to get their king to the middle of the board. Each player has 12 blocks, 11 of which can be promoted 1, 2, or 3 times, thus increasing their movement capability (the king cannot be promoted so dont promote all your other pieces, or you will give away your kings location). A magnet, a black pawn, is placed on a gridded point and affects all of a players pieces on lines radiating out from that point, moving them closer to the magnet. You can capture other pieces in this way, removing them from the board.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 8
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 4
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2008 |
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| Dou Shou Qi - Animal Chess | | | | | |
| ANIMAL BATTLE CHESS VARIANT
also known as Animal Chess in English (this English name is used when English text appears on sets) is a traditional Chinese game in which each player has eight animals that move about the board one square at a time, attempting to win by entering the opponents den. Stronger animals can eat weaker ones, but the rat can defeat the elephant by crawling into its ear. Interest is added to the board by a river (navigable only by the rat, but the lion and tiger can leap across it) and pitfalls (which make all animals vulnerable to attack by weaker ones). Sets can be bought cheaply in many Chinese shops; some have rules in English. This is not a deep intellectual exercise, but a strategic game that can be enjoyed even by young children.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 6
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2014 |
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| Cathedral | | | | | |
| BEAUTIFUL MASTERPIECE GOOD FOR DISPLAY
In Cathedral, each player has a set of pieces of a different color. The pieces are in the shapes of buildings, covering from one to five square units. The first player takes the single neutral Cathedral piece and places it onto the board. Players then alternate placing one of their buildings onto the board until neither player can place another building. Players capture territory by surrounding areas that are occupied by at most one opponent or neutral building. A captured piece is removed and captured territory becomes off-limits to the opponent. The player with the fewest square units of buildings that cant be placed wins.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 8
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 1983 |
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| Pathagon | | | | | |
| BUILD A PATH ACROSS
Pathagon is an exciting, ever changing new strategy game of building paths. While Pathagon is quick and easy to learn, there is a depth of strategy that will keep you on your toes. Players take turns placing their wooden game pieces on the board in an attempt to build a path from one side of the game board to the other. There is a trapping move that allows a player to trap and remove one of their opponents game pieces from the board. The first player to complete the path wins. Sounds simple, doesnt it? The catch is that the two paths cross. Every move has an offensive and defensive consideration. Pathagon is simple enough to be played by children, strategic enough to engage a true gamer. The rules have been drafted so that there is always a winner, no ties, stalemates, or cats games. Hand crafted from high quality hardwoods, Pathagon is pretty enough to be left out on the coffee table or bookshelf to be played again and again.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 10
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2011 |
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| The Duke | | | | | |
| TWO PLAYERS ABSTRACT CHESS WITH RANDOM PIECES
The Duke is a dynamic, tile-based strategy game with an old-world, feudal theme, high-quality wooden playing pieces, and an innovative game mechanism in its double-sided tiles. Each side represents a different posture – often considered to be defensive or offensive – and demonstrates exactly what the piece can do within the turn. At the end of a move (or after the use of a special ability), the tile is flipped to its other side, displaying a new offensive or defensive posture.
Each posture conveys different options for maneuver and attack. The full circle is a standard Move, the hollow circle the Jump, the arrow provides for the Slide, the star a special Strike ability and so on. Each turn a player may select any tile to maneuver, attempting to defend his own troops while positioning himself to capture his opponents tiles. If you end your movement in a square occupied by an opponents tile, you capture that tile. Capture your opponents Duke to win!
Players start the game by placing their Duke in one of the two middle squares on their side of the game board. Two Footman are then placed next to the Duke. Each turn a player may choose to either move a single tile or randomly draw a new tile from the bag. With twelve different Troop Tiles, all double-sided, and sixteen total pieces for each player, the variety of game play is limitless.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 12
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2013 |
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| Pylos | | | | | |
| BALLS BALLS BALLS FORM THE PYRAMID
In Pylos, you want to be one who places the final ball on top of the pyramid. Sounds simple enough, right?
At the start of the game, each player has fifteen balls, either light or dark, and they take turns placing them on a game board that has sixteen indentations on it in a 4x4 grid. Once four balls have been placed next to one another in a square, a ball can be placed on top of them, forming a second level of play. Players can then place balls on this second level, eventually allowing a ball to be placed on the third level – and once that level is full, which requires only four balls, a final ball can be placed on the fourth level, with that player winning the game.
If a player forms a square of his own color – that is, four balls placed next to one another on the same level – that player can remove one or two of his balls (that dont support anything) from anywhere on the board and place them in his reserve, thereby giving him more balls to place in the future. Whenever a player forms a square thats not entirely his own color, he can stack one of his pieces – that is, he can take any ball and place it on this square, locking some pieces in place and making a move without having to place a piece from his reserve.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 8
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 1994 |
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| Gobblet | | | | | |
| Gobblet is an abstract game played on a 4x4 grid with each of the two players having twelve pieces that can nest on top of one another to create three stacks of four pieces.
Your goal in Gobblet is to place four of your pieces in a horizontal, vertical or diagonal row. Your pieces start nested off the board. On a turn, you either play one exposed piece from your three off-the-board piles or move one piece on the board to any other spot on the board where it fits. A larger piece can cover any smaller piece. A piece being played from off the board may not cover an opponents piece unless its in a row where your opponent has three of his color.
Your memory is tested as you try to remember which color one of your larger pieces is covering before you move it. As soon as a player has four like-colored pieces in a row, he wins — except in one case: If you lift your piece and reveal an opponents piece that finishes a four-in-a-row, you dont immediately lose; you cant return the piece to its starting location, but if you can place it over one of the opponents three other pieces in that row, the game continues.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 8
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2000 |
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| Quixo | | | | | |
| Quixo bears a superficial resemblance to Tic-Tac-Toe – with one player being crosses and the other circles, and with both trying to create a line of their symbol – but thats where the resemblance ends. The pieces in the game are cubes that have a circle on one side, a cross on another, and blank faces on the other four; to set up the game, players place the 25 cubes with blanks face-up on the 5x5 grid in the game board.
On a turn, the active player takes a cube that is blank or bearing his symbol from the outer ring of the grid, rotates it so that it shows his symbol (if needed), then adds it to the grid by pushing it into one of the rows from which it was removed. Thus, a few pieces of the grid change places each turn, and the cubes slowly go from blank to crosses and circles. Play continues until someone forms an orthogonal or diagonal line of five cubes bearing his symbol, with this person winning the game.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 6
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 1995 |
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| Memoir 44 | | | | | |
| TWO PLAYERS DUEL WAR GAME
Memoir 44 is a historical boardgame where players face-off in stylized battles of some of the most famous historic battles of World War II including Omaha Beach, Pegasus Bridge, Operation Cobra and the Ardennes.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 8
Category1: War Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2004 |
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| 7 Wonders: Duel | | | | | |
| TWO PLAYERS DUEL
A player can win 7 Wonders: Duel in one of three ways. Each time that you acquire a military card, you advance the military marker toward your opponents capital, giving you a bonus at certain positions. If you reach the opponents capital, you win the game immediately. Similarly, if you acquire any six of seven different scientific symbols, you achieve scientific dominance and win immediately. If neither of these situations occurs, then the player with the most points at the end of the game wins.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 10
Category1: Cards
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2015 |
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| Go | | | | | |
| THE OLDEST STRATEGY GAME
By all appearances, its just two players taking turns laying stones on a 19×19 (or smaller) grid of intersections. But once its basic rules are understood, Go shows its staggering depth. One can see why many people say its one of the most elegant brain-burning abstract games in history, with players trying to claim territory by walling off sections of the board and surrounding each others stones. The game doesnt end until the board fills up, or, more often, when both players agree to end it, at which time whoever controls the most territory wins.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 8
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 1903 |
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| Haleakala | | | | | |
| In the two-player-game Haus der Sonne, players are building statues on the slopes of a volcano to honor their gods. The higher the statues are built up the volcano the more they score in one of the two scoring phases, but of course the closer they are build towards the crater the danger of being destroyed by volcanic eruption is higher as well.
By playing numbered chips (1-5) to the beach, you move a ship clockwise. The sector in which the ship is moved will be evaluated. If a player has placed a numbered chip into this sector, he may gain a card from this sector. Cards are required to build statues, buy bonus score cards or to influence the direction of the lava when the volcano finally errupts (two times in the game - right before an evaluation).
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 12
Category1: Area Control
Category2: Resource Management
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2015 |
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| Abagio | | | | | |
| One player has twelve red frogs; the other player has twelve purple frogs. There is a yellow frog that can be moved by either player. The gameboard is a six-by-six grid. The perimeter squares are called the Outer Path. The Outer Path surrounds the squares called the Inner Path. The center four squares have been merged into the Pond, which is the goal area. Players roll both dice on their turn with the goal of getting one’s own frogs into the pond to win. The frogs may be stacked but an opponent whose frog rests on top of the stack can freeze a stack of two. An opponent can not freeze a stack of three. The stacking limit is five (except for the root and pond, which have none). The object of the game is to maneuver all twelve of your frogs into the pond before ones opponent.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 10
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2004 |
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| Final Act | | | | | |
| Final Act is an abstract, simultaneous move game of tank versus tank action, using an innovative control panel system that lets players program their moves--for up to seven tanks each-- quickly. Both the direction the tank moves and where it points are covered with quick dials and then revealed to the opponent after both sides have finished.
Designed by Sharon Katz, who actually commanded a tank in the Israeli Army, Final Act is not linked with any specific historical period.
Players plan their moves place their shots, and then maneuver their tanks according to the plan. If tank and shell end up in the same space, one hit takes place. Two hits knock out any tank.
Before the game begins, each player may locate certain kinds of terrain pieces-- swamp, minefield, berms -- that can help their defense or impact how they want to attack.
To win the game, a player needs to move one tank to the last line of defense row of the opponent.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 10
Category1: War Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: In Stock
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2016 |
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| Haru Ichiban | | | | | |
| In Haru Ichiban, or The Wind of Spring, two apprentice gardeners compete to use this wind to their advantage to create harmonious patterns of their blossoms upon the lilypads.
Each gardener has eight flower buds numbered 1-8, with three of those buds being in hand at the start of a round. Sixteen lilypads are placed in the 5x5 pond, with one of them turned to its dark side.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 8
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2: Puzzle/Maze
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: In Stock
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2014 |
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| Raptor | | | | | |
| Mamma Raptor has escaped from her run and laid her eggs in the park. A team of scientists must neutralize her and capture the baby raptors before they run wild into the forest.
Raptor is a card driven boardgame with tactical play and some double guessing. Players use their cards to move their pawns (scientists on one side, Mother and baby raptors on the other) on the board. Every round, the player who played the lowest ranked card can use the corresponding action, while his opponent has movement attack points equal to the difference between the two cards values. The scientists can use fire, can move by jeep on the tracks, and can even call for reinforcements, while the mamma raptor can hide in the bushes, yell to frighten the scientists, and call for her babies.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 9
Category1: Cards
Category2: action point allowance
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Not available
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2015 |
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| Kamisado | | | | | |
| Kamisado is a game of pure skill and strategy with no dice, cards or other chance element — its just you against your opponent!
The aim in each round is to be the first to get an octagonal dragon tower to the opposite side of the board; towers move in straight lines, either forwards or diagonally forwards. The twist is that you must move the tower of the color matching the space on which the opponent moved on her previous turn. As the game progresses, youll find that the routes you want to use are blocked by enemy towers — and sometimes your own! If you cant move, your opponent moves again immediately, moving the tower matching the color of the space occupied by the stymied tower.
As the game unfolds, your towers will be promoted to Sumos and have the ability to push your opponents pieces backwards, earning you extra turns. The situations continue to become more complex and challenging, until one player accumulates the required winning total and can be declared a Kamisado Grand Master — until the next game!
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 8
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 5
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2008 |
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| stratego fortress | | | | | |
| Stratego Fortress is a 3D variant of Stratego.
Each of the two players control a fortress with 3 levels and also some noble knights to invade the opposite fortress. Goal is to capture the adversarial flag.
There are secret passages to discover, pitfalls to avoid, deal with powerful wizards and sneaky dwarfs. Beware also of the the princess or you will succumb to her charm. Only the bravest will win.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 8
Category1: Puzzle/Maze
Category2: Deduction
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: In Stock
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2007 |
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| Daxu | | | | | |
| In Daxu, players collect sets of cards of six different types of shops: bakery, rice wine shop, wood cutter, basket maker, silk dealer, and tea house.
Each round, several cards are flipped and players decide whether they want the cards for themselves or they want to give the cards to their opponent. Obtained cards go into your personal collection, and some of these cards provide (or make you lose) reputation points. If you focus too much on one type of shop, your customers will be dissatisfied and your opponent will gain points instead of you!
At the end of the game, players score points based on who holds majorities in which shops. Holding a majority by only a few cards earns points for you, but from a certain point on, that majority provides points for your opponent instead! Whoever collects the most points from majorities and reputation points wins.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 10
Category1: Luck driven
Category2: Cards
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Not available
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2015 |
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| Onitama | | | | | |
| Onitama is a two-player, perfect information abstract game with a random starting set-up. On a 5x5 board, both players start with five pawns on their side, with the main pawn in the middle.
Each player has two open cards that each display a possible move for any of his pieces. There is a fifth card that cannot be used by either player. On a players turn, he chooses one of his cards, moves one of his pieces according to the chosen card, then replaces the card he used with the fifth card. The other player then chooses one of his cards, moves accordingly, and exchanges that card with this fifth card — which is, of course, the card the first player just used.
Moving onto one of the opponents pawns removes that pawn from the game. Taking the opponents main pawn, or moving your main pawn into your opponents main pawns starting space, wins you the game.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 8
Category1: Abstract Strategy
Category2:
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Not available
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2014 |
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| Seven Swords | | | | | |
| Seven honorable and brave samurai, aided by a handful of frightened villagers, are the only defenders of the village. Will you help these villagers to fend off bandits, or will you command the thieves to steal all the rice you can and punish the insolent peasants?
Seven Swords is a game for two players in which one player controls seven samurai and the villagers to try to repel the attack of the evil villains while the other player controls the bandits who try to steal all the rice they can and destroy the village. The game lasts 18 turns, after which the player with the most victory points (VPs) wins. The samurai player begins the game with the VPs in the villagers houses and rice stores, and the bandit player must attack peasant houses and steal rice to acquire these VPs. The bandit player can also earn extra points if he eliminates the samurai in combat.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 14
Category1: fighting
Category2: pick and deliever
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Can be ordered
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2013 |
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| JurassAttack! | | | | | |
| In JurassAttack!, two players face off in an epic face-to-face dinosaur battle!
In the game, each player chooses a dinosaur or pack of dinosaurs of the same type from their hand, then they reveal them simultaneously to compare Ferocity values. The player with the highest total Ferocity wins the round, taking their rivals dinosaurs into their score pile. Different types of dinosaurs are worth varying amounts of victory points, so its important to plan well and make sure not to give away too many points in the event of a knockout!
These fierce, prehistoric beasts each have their own special effects as well. Some hunt alone while others may pack with dinos of different types. And sometimes, with a well-placed bluff, players may even be able to sneak some of their precious eggs into their own score pile to protect the future generation.
Minimum Players: 2
Maximum Players: 2
Age & Difficulty: 8
Category1: Cards
Category2: fighting
Rating: 3
New Copy for sale: Not available
In-store Play Copy: In Store
Year Published: 2015 |
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