Qwirkle

Mensa Select 2007 Game of the Year 2011 Game of the Year 2011: Games Hit for families As d' Or - Jeu de l' Année 2011: nominated

Qwirkle is an abstract combination and placement game by Susan McKinley Ross. It is played with 108 tiles on which symbols in 6 different colors and 6 different shapes are. The gameplay is reminiscent of games like Scrabble, Rummy and Domino. With a good balance between happiness and tactical options, it is suitable as a family game, but also has elements of a strategy game on. It is played with 2-4 players a game lasts between 30 and 45 minutes. The name is derived from the English word from quirky ( " subtle ", " ripped ").

History

It was invented by Susan McKinley Ross the game, who lives in San Francisco and there owns a company that sells toys and games. Qwirkle was her first " big" game. In the U.S., the game was first published in 2006. Among other awards, it received the 2007 American Mensa Select games price, be awarded the games in which, above all, intellectual skills are required. In German-speaking countries, the game is distributed by Schmidt games since autumn 2010. In 2011 it received the prestigious Critics' Award and Game of the Year Award Austria to the game hit for families. In France, the game is distributed by Iello since March 2010, where the As d' Or - was nominated Jeu de l' Année 2011.

Game material

The game consists of 108 square tiles. Each tile is printed symbol. These icons come in 6 different colors and 6 different shapes, making a total of 36 different stones results. Each of these 36 stones is a total of exactly three times before in the entire game. The game also comes with a bag into which the tiles can be laid for the tightening.

Game idea

The basic idea is to form blocks of predetermined rows. These stones are placed horizontally or vertically to each other on the table. A series consists of stones, which are either all printed with the same shape or all the same color. Simultaneously, a second condition must be met: In a series of stones of the same color all the stones must have a different shape; and vice versa must have a different color in a row with stones of the same shape all the bricks. Features of the two shape / color of words must be always the same, while the other feature may occur only once in a single row. The maximum length of a row is limited to 6 stones.

Each player starts with a hand of 6 stones that are set up so that the other players can not see them. Who is on the train, has two options: he can

• Either any number of stones will exchange his hand with the supply, or
• Attach one or more stones in booklet for stones in a row.

Each stone must be played always in contact with at least one stone ausliegenden already have. All played out stones have to have either the same color or the same shape. And all the stones that are applied to an existing row must fit in their feature to the already ausliegenden stones. If stones are applied to existing rows, then one may create either horizontally or vertically. At the end of the train the hand is replenished to 6 stones. The game ends when the supply is empty and the first player has placed his last stone.

Rating

The object of the game is to collect as many points throughout the game. Points obtained for each stone in a row, to which one has created its own stone in the course of a train. The stones that were already on the table in front of the own train (in the relevant range, to which one has created), while all count. If a stone part of two different rows (horizontal and vertical), then the points given for stones from both rows. Special points are there if you manage to complete a series of 6 stones - such a " Qwirkle " provides 12 points ( 6 points for the being laid stones plus 6 extra points for completing the series). The points are continuously recorded and added. Who invests his last stone, thus ending the game will also receive 6 extra points.

Characterization of the game

Through the covert tightening of pieces Qwirkle has a significant luck factor - the tactical possibilities and widely available but this seems not dominant. A promising game strategy is to identify promising points placement opportunities and deliver the opponents to no templates for a " Qwirkle ". In demanding tactical games it is important to keep track of the already lying and to calculate probabilities with which a particular stone can be pulled from the supply, and dots black spots that you can not use itself to obstruct.

The easy-to -learn game promotes abstract thinking and analytical and combinatorial skills. With increasing depth strategic and tactical knowledge is next trained.