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| Simple Simple Fun Fun |
23/11/2001 |
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| Product: BATIK (Classic) |
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| A gamer from TACOMA |
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Simple, yet fun!
I just love this game. So simple, but it is never the same.
Abstract, quirky, and so easy, but you love to play again and again.
What you see is what you get. If you like the looks of the game and the basic rule-have your opponent be the first with their piece to stick out from the top-then you'll like this game.
Simple as that |
| Move over checkers and chess |
23/11/2001 |
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| Product: QUORIDOR (Classic) |
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| A gamer from SW PA |
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Quoridor is the game for today's strategy game players. It's easy to learn to play, does not take a long time to play (10-20 minutes) but it requires a player to think offensively and defensively to win. I know QUORIDOR will become a classic right up there with checkers and chess. |
| The best abstract strategy game of the decade |
23/11/2001 |
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| Product: QUORIDOR (Classic) |
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| Ian from Washington, DC |
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Quoridor is deceptive. Its simple rules gives the new player a grasp of the game very quickly, but the actual strategy is much deeper. Each game takes on its own character_some are primarily wall-building_some games are about deft maneuvering of the pawn…other times a player can be very deceptive in what the real motive actually is. The key is that the walls can be used for both offense and defense in ways which are not readily apparent on the first few plays. This game is addictive and should be considered a classic. |
| 5 Stars doesn't go high enough for Quoridor |
23/11/2001 |
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| Product: QUORIDOR (Classic) |
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| James Johnson from Rochester, NY |
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I have been playing this game for a couple of years now and I love it even more every time I play. I consider myself an expert player and insist on teaching everyone I know. A dozen people at work now have their own boards and many more are playing because I taught them. I am amazed how easily everyone picks up the game and within 2 mintues they are playing and having fun.
I keep thnking about how easy it is to learn but how intricate the strategy gets…boggles my mind, I love it!
For those of you who haven't yet discovered the game Quoridor, you are missing Best game I have ever seen. I believe the strategy equals that of chess but only takes 5 - 15 minutes to play a full game (for 2 players). That means, you can have twice the fun in only 1/3 the time of chess.
Also, for those select few who think they are god at Quoridor I challenge you to think about a small veriation that requires no extra pieces…
Advanced Quoridor:
l Paint the tops of the wooded fences green.
l Paint the bottoms of the wooden fences red
Now, in any given turn, you can do 1 of 3 things:
1. move pawn
2. place a fence green side up (meaning go)
3. take a fence green side up already on the board and place it anywhere else Red side up. This means that fence can no longer be moved.
This creates an evne more strategic game and takes longer to play, but the results are amazing! |
| Limited Possibilities |
23/11/2001 |
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| Product: QUORIDOR (Classic) |
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| Paul from New York |
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Ther other reviews here are raves, which is what my friend came over with.
I was not so enthusiastic. It is a good game, but there just is't enough to consider. The moves are fairly predefined for you after the first 5 or so, since some moves are so obvious you can't help but play them, and we rarely actually played out a full game as it would become obvious who was going to win, particularly when we each had 0-2 walls remaining to play.
It plays like a race game pretending to be a maze game, but is seems to miss both marks. I do know that a lot of people think is the greatest game out there. I'm not one of those people.
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| Quoridor - unbelievably addicting! |
23/11/2001 |
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| Product: QUORIDOR (Classic) |
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| Edward D. Collins from Southern California |
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I first became aware of Quoridor a little more than two years ago. When I first read the description of the game I had no ideas how much fun it would be. It's one thing to see the game and read about it. It's another thing entirely to actually play it! After playing it just a few times I instantly fell in love with it. It is VERY addicting!
It's harder to imagine such simpler rules; simply be the first one to mvoe your pawn to the last rank. On each turn you may either move your pawn or place a fence anywhere on the board. The one exception to placing fences is this: you may not place a fence where it would completely block your opponent from reaching his goal, i.e. you must always leave him with at least ONE valid route to his/her last rank.
Conveniently, most games last less than 15 or 20 minutes although I've seen games between two competitive players last 45 minutes or more. The game can be played almost anywhere... on the beach, in a car or bus or train, at the office, etc.
Over the past couple of years I've shown Quoridor to perhaps a dozen different people and every single one fo them have also reacted favorably to it... and some of these people aren't exactly fans of games. Thus, it is no surprise to me Quoridor won Games Magazine's prestigious `Game of the Year` award in 1997.
Like Scrabble and Pente, the two-player version is by far the best. In my limited experience in playing with three or four players, Quoridor becomes less of a game of skill and more of a free-for-all.
I consider myslef a good player and my guess is I still have a lot to learn! In fact, out of the dozens and dozens (hundreds?) of games I've played, I have yet to come up with any kind of winning opening or defense!
If you find you are much stronger than your opponent, a wonderful way to give yourself a handicap is to simply give your opponent one or two of your wooden fences! |
| Best abstract game of the millenium |
23/11/2001 |
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| Product: QUORIDOR (Classic) |
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| Jonathan Bricker from Seattle Washington |
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You migth say I have become a Gigamic afficionado. I have all of their "Q" games and several others. In the two years I have been playing their abstract games, there is one that consistently stands out as the best: Quoridor. I have never met a person who didn't like this game. This elegantly simple to learn but difficult to win game has been entertaining to me and my friends and family.
In my experience with the game, several strategies include what I call `the snake`, `the trap`, and `push ya'back`. I am always finding new strategies for the game so playing is never dull. As with many games, the key is thinking ahead several moves and anticipating the many possibilities.
As such a wonderful game, it is disappointing to find so few enthusiasts over the Internet. I have also never seen an online version. Moreover, now that American Trading no longer distributes it in the US it is difficult for my friends to buy it. |
| Even Non-Gamers Will Like This! |
23/11/2001 |
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| Product: QUORIDOR (Classic) |
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| Tom from Dayton, OH |
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Quoridor is the answer to my prayers! My wife doesn't usually like to play games that are all luck because `what's the point?` Nor, in the past, has she liked to play any games of skill like chess because I'm always `too smart for her`. But in Quoridor, we've found a game where we are evenly matched and the play is exciting.
This may be the game that turns my non-gamer spouse into a gamer. |
| The best abstract game I have ever played |
23/11/2001 |
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| Product: QUORIDOR (Classic) |
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| Bart from Naperville, IL |
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This is the best abstract game I have every played. The rules are so simple, a five-year-old can play it, and both my five-year-olds do. However, this is a game of pure strategy. There is no element of luck at all - at least not in a two player game.
I frequently play with my children, but the game is made competitive because I give them one or two of my pieces.
I know of no other pure strategy games that can be played competitively by a young child and an adult. But the game is great fun for two (or four) adults also. |
| Good two player strategy game |
23/11/2001 |
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| Product: ABALONE (Classic) |
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| Tash from Sydney |
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For those who like Go, and Chess... this game is well and truly in your genre. You basically have a hexagonal game board, with indents in it which allow you to maneuver your pieces (these resemble oversized marbles – black and white) around the board. The aim is to push 6 of your opponent's balls off the board. A row of balls of higher number can push a row of lower number; a row of three balls will enable you to push a row of two balls belonging to your opponent one space; if you're close enough to the edge you can push one ball off. The max number of balls in a row is 3. What it rounds up to is a fight to keep your balls together (ahem), and a need to develop a strategy to corner your opponent and knock him/her off. My stepfather who was a previous chess champion loves this game. This game can be as complicated or simple as you like. Though I wouldn't say that it is as complicated as Go. |
| Very attractive at first, but is easily solved for a draw |
23/11/2001 |
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| Product: ABALONE (Classic) |
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| James Johnson from Rochester, NY |
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Special Note: I believe this game is wonderful for children ages 8-16 and can be fun for adults wanting to play a light, not so serious fun game.
I played this game years ago when a good friend of mine gave it to me for my birthday. I loved the game! I was completely hooked for weeks, all until I mastered the game.
Unfortunately, this is a game that when both players master the game, both players revert back and forth in a stalemate position on the board full well knowing that if they divert from that position, they would lose.
Taking the center most position in this game is key_ if you are not fully blobbed together in a tight group, then you will get busted open right away. You can't win by separating your marbles_ so, this means keeping center and grouped… exactly what the other player is doing too.
The unfortunate part is, there is no way to break this if both players know what they are doing.
This game makes a great coffee table game for guests to play. The board is extremely interesting… and, yes the pieces clanking together makes a great sound too. |
| A good game that needs just a little something more… |
23/11/2001 |
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| Product: ABALONE (Classic) |
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| Edward D. Collins from Southern California |
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I was first introduced to Abalone at a gaming convention in Detroit about 11 year ago. After seeing the game demonstrated and playing a few games with a few people in the crowd, I immediately bought it... and I've never regretted doing so.
Many, many years later, I had the pleasure of introducing a young friend of mine to Abalone. The very next day he immediately went out and purchased his own copy and to this day still claims it's one of the best game he's ever seen. High praise indeed. In fact, he's not the only one to give it such praise. Mensa declared it their "Best Mind Game" of 1990 and it has also picked up "Game of the Year" awards in France, Spain, Germany and Switzerland. Of course, there's also the small matter of winning "Game of the Decade" at the International Games Festival in Cannes. Impressive to say the least.
The object of Abalone is to be the first person to push six of his/her opponent's marbles off the hexagonal board. The brief few ways a marble or group of marbles can move and push can be explained in just minutes. Most children as young as seven can probably grasp the rules without ay problem.
Abalone is very visually appealing. The board is a marvelous piece of engineering design. It can make for quite a conversation piece simply sitting on your coffee table. And not only does it look great but the "clunking" sound that is heard when one group of marbles pushes another is also very appealing. It's not every game that both LOOKS and SOUNDS great!
Abalone is a good game. In fact, I might even go one further and say Abalone is a very good game. However, I would not consider Abalone to be a great game. As I continue to play it, I realize it's lacking something... and I'm not sure what that something is. If I had to put my finger on it, I would say the game can become too dull if one (or both!) players simply play defensively. This is similar to the board game, Stratego, which, although has many good aspets, can also be rather dull and often completely favors the DEFENSIVE player. I don't believe I'm the only one who believes this, since I recall Internet Newsgroup posts which mention the same thing.
I'm willing to bet that years from now, maybe even MANY years from now, someone, somewhere, will come up with a slight rule change, or add a slightly new dimension to it that will give Abalone the "zap" it really needs. Possibly this just means a change to the starting position, or changing the properties of one or more of each player's marbles.
If you're a fan of abstract strategy games, and if you haven't played Abalone yet, you definitely should give it a try. I give it 3.5 stars. |
| Dry, even for an abstract game |
23/11/2001 |
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| Product: ABALONE (Classic) |
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| Randall Peck from Danielson, CT |
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One thing you can't fault Abalone for is the quality of the components. When the game is set up there is an elegance to it that is unmistakable. The big black and white marbles on the hexagonal board looks like some sort of twenty-first century checkers set. Come to think of it, that is almost exactly what it is.
Sadly, it is also a rather dry abstract game. The pieces, while pretty, wind up making many of the same moves over and over, game after game. I just have never felt that it had the strategic depth of chess or Go or even Mancala. Admittedly, there is probably more strategy here than in, say, Kensington, but that isn't saying all that much.
If you want something that is easily taught and looks great on your coffee table, pick up Abalone. If you want a game with lots of variety that will have you coming back time and time again, it might not fit the bill. |
| Organic and Graphic |
23/11/2001 |
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| Product: ABALONE (Classic) |
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| Paul from New York |
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The lines are rigid, but soon you will start seeing fuild pressures and motions on an Abalone board.
VERY natural feeling rules. The universe on the board of Abalone is very complete and simple in concept. (unlike chess, which overflows with rules of different and arbitrary piece move types and starting positions.)
The shorter game (less balls off the board to win) is great for learning or just a faster game.
The wonderful clack of balls sliding into place with each move is just another pleasing thing about this wonderfully pure strategy game.
If you like abstract strategy - this is the game.
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| Simple, yet effective entertainment |
23/11/2001 |
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| Product: ABALONE (Classic) |
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| Audrey J. Cobb from Syracuse, New York |
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This is a game that gets played in our house on a fairly regular basis - we have owned it for about 6 years. What makes it enjoyable is its basic simplicity. However, that is also its downfall. The lasting replayability comes in playing against a variety of partners, because everyone thinks and views this game just a bit differently. The components are wonderful, the rules are very simple and clear to understand, but to play this against the same person repeatedly is boring. Also, a three player version adds little to the overall effectiveness. |
| Anyone want to Sumo? |
23/11/2001 |
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| Product: ABALONE (Classic) |
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| Mike from Las Vegas |
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Now... Abalone is a two person abstract strategy game based on Sumo wrestling. It is one of the rare games that you will ever find that is "easy to learn and difficult to master" . The components consist of an octogonal basic board (shaped like a stopsign), and thirteen black and thirteen white marbles.
The rules of the game are simple. Rules of movement; move one, two or three marbles in one direction and in a straight line. Rules of combat; more marbles push less marbles. Example:; three black marbles can push either one or two white marbles. The first player to push five of their opponent's outside of the ring, in any direction, wins the game!
Play consists of each player taking turns positioning their marbles strategicly. Deciding whether to push your opponent's marbles or consolidate your position in the center of the board is a fine line which determines astounding victories or staggering defeats!
This is an amazingly elegant, handsome game which I have played dozens of times. Its great for kids and adults. No waiting around to learn the rules! So... does anyone want to Sumo? |
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| Product: QUIXO (Classic) |
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| Emilie Coulter from USA |
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Like ticktacktoe? You'll love Quixo Classic. Twenty-five wooden cubes are shifted up and down and side-to-side as players try to line up five-diagonally, vertically, or horizontally-with their own symbol, X or O. Think carefully-every move brings the possibility of inadvertently helping your opponent win. In turn, each player removes a cube from the periphery of the handsome, dark wood board (10 inches in diameter) and replaces it at the end of one of the rows made incomplete by its removal, sliding the remaining four to fill up the empty space. Now the entire row has changed and each player may be one step closer to-or further from-winning. Keen strategic and visualization skills are a must. |
| PYLOS - Classic |
19/10/2001 |
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| Product: PYLOS (Classic) |
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| Paul Hughes from USA |
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With just four rules, this simple but elegant game from France's legendary Gigamic is easy to learn, and each full game of Pylos takes only 10 or 20 minutes to complete. But its simplicity is deceptive. The game-recognized by Games Magazine's Top 100, Mensa's Top Five Best Games, the Parents' Choice Gold Awards, and France's Oscar du Jouet and As d'Or-falls into that "minutes to learn, a lifetime to master" family of games, like chess or Go. Players stack 1-inch-wide wooden balls (light and dark) on a 9-by-9-inch board to form a pyramid, and whoever places the top ball wins. But clever rules concerning moving and removing the balls will have you second-guessing and thinking ahead to formulate the perfect strategy. |
| Easy and fun to play, but limited in game situations |
15/10/2001 |
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| Product: PYLOS (Classic) |
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| haggis harry from Brooklyn, NY USA |
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The premise of this game is simple: you and your opponent each have 15 spheres, and you are working to build a pyramid together, one move at a time. To win, you want your opponent to use his/her spheres before you use yours, so that you can place the last sphere on the top.
But rather than just continually taking from your reserve of spheres, you want to make moves that either allow you to move a sphere from one place on the board to another, or another move that actually lets you take one or two spheres back. At the same time, you don't want to let your opponent have these openings.
(A sphere can be moved within the board if it goes `upstairs`, that is, on top of the center of a 2x2 of spheres. You can take one or two of your spheres back when you make a 2x2 where all four spheres are your own color. You could almost imagine yourself using similar strategies as you use when playing the `box` game on paper. As you avoid some situations, you will find yourself trying to put your opponent in dilemmas where they do will leave you an opening.)
So the principles are easy. However, I also think that the game situations are somewhat limited as a result, and while this is a great way to spend 10-20 minutes, it won't be as interesting as other games. |
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| Product: QUIXO (Classic) |
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| Manufacturer from Manufacturer |
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Quixo has received a Parent's Choice Award, Games Magazine Best Strategy Game Award, a Gold Award from the International Festival of Games/Cannes and a MENSA's Top 5 Games Award. The experts definitely think this game is fun! Quixo plays like a very advanced version of Tic Tac Toe where one tries to get five in a row. The game can be learned in a few minutes and moves along quickly. Quixo plays fast and fun. |
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| Product: PYLOS (Classic) |
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| Manufacturer from Manufacturer |
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This is a very good game for children who are good at seeing visual relationships; I would expect that any child that enjoys Othello will also enjoy this.
Players compete to strategically place their spheres using as many as possible, forcing your opponent to take back pieces, and to top the pyramid. It takes about 5 minutes to learn the game and 15 minutes to complete a round of play-but you'll want a rematch immediately! Takes two to play. A fun family gift. Parent's Choice Award Winner, Games Magazine Best Strategy Game Award, also selected as one of MENSA's Top Five Games of the Year. |
| Excellent game to see patterns |
22/01/2001 |
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| Product: QUARTO! (Classic) |
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| Richard Duncan from Boise, ID United States |
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I played this game with my nephew, who was nine at the time. He quickly began to beat me at the game. He was able to see the patterns where I didn't see them. The game does require strategy on forcing your opponent to make moves for the win. I highly recommend the game |
| Simple Satisfaction! |
04/08/2000 |
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| Product: QUARTO! (Classic) |
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| Douglas M. Swiggum from Fitchburg, WI USA |
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Who would have thought that a game with such simple rules could be so fascinating to play? This game is satisfying for all levels of players-from little tykes to brain-heavy mathematicians. When you find an opponent who is about as careful or alert as yourself, you will be surprised how addictive this game can be. "OK, just one more game..."
Not only is this game mentally stimulating and fun, but it is very attractive and well made. The size and finish of the wooden pieces make it something you will want to leave out for guests to notice. Perhaps they will ask you what it is, so that you can teach them the game!
This would make an excellent gift. |
| A great game for folks with short attention spans! |
04/12/1999 |
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| Product: QUARTO! (Classic) |
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| A toy enthusiast from Southern California |
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Each game lasts only a couple of minutes, so it's great when you want to play just a quick game of something. You have to keep track of both whats on the playing board, and what is left to play, so you have to plan ahead the next several moves. It's something the whole family can play, regardless of age or education level. In short, it's a great game for everyone! I love it! |
| Lasting family fun! |
30/11/1999 |
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| Product: QUIXO (Classic) |
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| A toy enthusiast from Knoxville, TN |
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We have had this game for over a year and love it. We take it on vacation and play it often at home. It is a quick and challenging game that is fun for adults as well as kids. A fun family activity! |
| Quarto! Classic |
07/11/1999 |
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| Product: QUARTO! (Classic) |
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| Emilie Coulter from USA |
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Winner of a stack of international awards, Quarto! Classic requires eagle eyes and scheming minds. The first of two players selects one of 16 different wooden playing pieces, each with four physical traits (light or dark, round or square, tall or short, solid or hollow) and gives it to the opponent. That player places the piece on any circle on the lovely, 10-by-10-inch, dark wood board, and then chooses another piece to give to the first player, who places it anywhere on the board. The object is to establish-or be the first to notice-a line of four pieces with at least one common characteristic, and call "Quarto!" With variations for beginning or advanced players, and countless playable combinations, this fun and challenging game is indeed a classic. |
| Quarto! Classic |
02/11/1999 |
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| Product: QUARTO! (Classic) |
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| Manufacturer from Manufacturer |
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Quarto has received a Parent's Choice Award, Game of the Year/Italy, MENSA's Top 5 Games Award, Toy Testing Council Award/Canada and Prize of Excellence/Quebec. This award winning game moves along quickly. You win by getting four in a row of color, shape or height of pieces. The twist is your opponent picks which piece you must play next. A game for two players. A wonderful gift for the thinking person. |
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