Today's review is of the 2015 release, Karuba. For 2-4 players, it takes 30 minutes.
Overview
You are an explorer, seeking fortune and fame in temples long lost to the jungle- but you're not alone. Other treasure hunters search for a way to riches- can you get there first?
Karuba is a path optimization game. Each player has 4 explorers and 4 matching temples, placed on opposite sides of the board. Each player has 30 numbered tiles with different paths. One player shuffles their lot and draws one at a time, announcing the number selected. Each player then places that tile on their board OR discards the tile to move one of their adventurers along the path to the temple of matching color. Points are earned through picking up gems found on some tiles and reaching the temples before other players (first to reach a temple gets 5 points, second gets 4, etc.). The game is over when all tiles have been played.
Review
I like this game. The 'use or discard to move' mechanic for each tile makes for interesting choices. The more valuable tiles- those with more paths- also allow players to move more squares, producing tense decision-making. And the randomness is identically shared among players- everyone's playing the same tile, so nobody can claim bad luck. It's a decent title for kids, too. My only knock is the setup- it takes a while. That aside, check this out.
Rating: A-
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| game in progress; image from here |
Review
I like this game. The 'use or discard to move' mechanic for each tile makes for interesting choices. The more valuable tiles- those with more paths- also allow players to move more squares, producing tense decision-making. And the randomness is identically shared among players- everyone's playing the same tile, so nobody can claim bad luck. It's a decent title for kids, too. My only knock is the setup- it takes a while. That aside, check this out.
Rating: A-
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