Abstract Strategy

Puzzling and animal breeding: Designer Uwe Rosenberg is at his best! In New York Zoo, you are constructing an animal park. Build animal enclosures, introduce new animals and raise their offspring. The game play is straight forward as you have only two turn options: Puzzle a new enclosure tile into your zoo area or gain new animals to populate your animal encounters. But be sure to time your actions well since you want your zoo to participate in as many animal breedings as possible.

—description from the publisher

Breathe deeply… Let the whisper of thought come to your ear… Harmonize your chakras and let go so that the negative energies will disappear. Meditate on your strategy and let your feelings guide you towards victory!

In Chakra, each player has a board that shows the seven chakras they must fill with gems that represent the energy flowing in their body. To score points, a player must harmonize each of their chakras in the best possible way. To do so, they must take the gems and place three of them of the corresponding color in each of the chakras. During a turn, each player (who starts the game with several inspiration tokens) chooses one of the three following actions:

Take up to three gems from one column and place them on top of their individual board — or by spending a token, place them in a more strategic position.
Spend one token to use one of eight available actions; moving gems up or down by the number of chakra spaces indicated on the action is the key to reaching a perfect alignment.
Meditate to reclaim an inspiration token and secretly look at the point value, which is common to all players, that a harmonized chakra (3 same-colored gems) will score.

When a player manages to align five of their chakras, the last turn is played before you perform the final scoring.

—description from the publisher

The election of the Aztec High Priest is imminent. In order to prove their value and merit, the contenders engage in a race for prestige to win the favor of the gods. Will you be able to make the most beautiful sculptures of feathered snakes (called Cóatl) to stand out and gain access to the coveted title of High Priest?

In Cóatl, players work to build the most beautiful and valuable serpents. The serpents, or Cóatl, are constructed with a head, a tail, and a number of body tiles, each made from chunky, colorful plastic. On a turn, players will either take tiles from the central board to their personal board, or work to construct one of their Cóatls with the different tiles they've collected.

The game end is triggered when one player finishes their third Cóatl. Players receive points for fulfilling objectives, and the one with the most is named the new High Priest!

•••

L’élection au titre de grand prêtre aztèque est imminente. Afin de prouver leur valeur et leur mérite, les prétendants s’engagent dans une course au prestige pour conquérir la faveur des dieux. Saurez-vous réaliser les plus belles sculptures de serpents à plumes (appelés Cóatl) pour vous démarquer et ainsi accéder au titre tant convoité de grand prêtre aztèque?

Dans Cóatl, les joueurs construisent les plus beaux et précieux serpents à plumes qui soient. Ces reptiles, appelés Cóatl par les Aztèques, sont construits d'une tête, une queue et un certain nombre de pièces de corps en plastique épais et coloré. À tour de rôle, les joueurs prennent les pièces du plateau central et les transposent sur leur plateau personnel afin d'assembler stratégiquement des Cóatls en fonction des couleurs édictées par leurs cartes d'objectifs.

La partie se termine lorsqu'un joueur complète son troisième Cóatl. Les joueurs reçoivent des points pour la réalisation d'objectifs et celui qui en a cumulé le plus est déclaré grand prêtre aztèque!

•••

In der aztekischen Mythologie ist der Schöpfergott Quetzalcoatl als Gott des Windes, des Himmels und der Erde allgegenwärtig. Gefiederten Schlangen, Cóatl genannt, schmücken antike Tempelanlagen in ganz Mexiko.

Erschafft die aufwändigsten und elegantesten Skulpturen geflügelter Schlangen, auch Cóatl genannt, damit einer von euch zum neuen Hohepriester der Azteken ernannt wird.Während des Spiels erschafft ihr Cóatl, indem ihr Kopf-, Körper- und Schwanzsegmente verbindet, die den Voraussetzungen eurer Prophezeiungskarten entsprechen. Je mehr der Voraussetzungen erfüllt werden, desto mehr Prestigepunkte bringt das fertige Cóatl.

Long before sages battled in the arena, Aldr, the first High Sage, mastered the elements and passed his teachings on to his students. However, even the most powerful cannot train every day. Aldr himself created this game of strategy to reinforce sharpen their minds and reinforce is hard-won lessons.

ALDR: The High Sage is a card game unlike any other. Tactically place drafted cards to build the four elemental patterns before your opponents can. Place your sages strategically to restrict the options of other players, and move Aldr himself to further thwart your opponents. Be the first to place your four sages and claim victory in this unique card game of area control.

Although ALDR: The High Sage is a standalone game, rules are included to use ALDR as an expansion to Element!

—description from the designer

Calico is a puzzly tile-laying game of quilts and cats.
In Calico, players compete to sew the coziest quilt as they collect and place patches of different colors and patterns. Each quilt has a particular pattern that must be followed, and players are also trying to create color and pattern combinations that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also able to attract the cuddliest cats!

Turns are simple. Select a single patch tile from your hand and sew it into your quilt, then draw another patch into your hand from the three available. If you are able to create a color group, you may sew a button onto your quilt. If you are able to create a pattern combination that is attractive to any of the cats, it will come over and curl up on your quilt! At the end of the game, you score points for buttons, cats, and how well you were able to complete your unique quilt pattern.

—description from the publisher