Gaming Signal: BOARD GAME REVIEW: Ingenious

BOARD GAME REVIEW: Ingenious

My Rating
BRIEF SYNOPSIS:An abstract tile-laying game by designer Reiner Knizia.
PROS: Quick to learn; a good thinking game, but can be played as seriously or casually as desired; great production value; solitaire mode.
CONS: only allows 4 players
BOTTOM LINE: A very simple game to learn, and one which can be played as a serious contest of wits or as a lighter 'filler' game.

As a rule I'm not a big fan of abstract games. I guess after playing Ingenious, that's more of a guildeline than an actual rule, though.

The game is very simple to learn. The game consists of a large number of domino-like tiles and a big empty board to place them on. Each tile has two symbols, one on each side, like a domino. Each player also has a score card showing each of the symbols. On a player's turn, he places a tile on the board and scores it. Each side of the tile scores depending what symbols it's adjacent to. If, for instance, one side of a tile has a green circle, then the player draws an imaginary line out from each side of the tile and scores one point for each matching green circle, stopping when a different symbol, or no symbol is found. After counting up all of the matching symbols for one side of the tile, the player moves up that symbol marker on the score card and then repeats the scoring procedure for the other side of the tile.

The game ends when the board is filed with tiles and no more can be played. The winner is determined (and this is the real beauty of the game) by the player who's furthest-behind symbol on his scoring card is the furthest ahead. For instance, if the furthest behind symbol on player A's scoring card in the blue star, and it's at location 8, and the yellow sun is furthest behind on player B's score card, at location 6, then player A wins.

Solitaire mode is played the same way, and a player tries to better his score each game.

The strategies in the game involve keeping an eye on your opponent's score card and keeping your back token further up as well as taking advantage of (and blocking) high-scoring moves.

I've played the game with people as young as 10 and with as few as 1 and as many as 3 players and have enjoyed each game.