Review: Aqualin
| Length |
| Release Date |
Designer: Marcello Bertocchi
Artist: N/A
Publisher: KOSMOS
Category: Tile Placement
Players: 2
Aqualin is a new game in the uber-popular KOSMOS 2-player line. In this abstract game, players take turns adding tiles to a 6×6 grid in hopes of scoring the most points. Each tile bears 1 of 6 sea creatures in 1 of 6 colors, and each player is interested in 1 of these 2 characteristics. In other words, someone plays as “colors” and the other plays as “sea creatures.” Players add and move tiles, trying to form large groups for big points. It has a classic simplicity to it and works well with almost any age.
Review
As a game-designer-wannabe, Aqualin is one of those games that just made me say “how did I not think of this first?” It’s so simple and elegant, it feels like this game has existed forever; if someone told me it was originally designed in 300 BC, I would think, yeah, I can see that.
Aqualin is a 2-player game of placing and moving tiles on a grid to make groups of adjacent, like tiles. The game is played on a 6×6 grid of squares, and each of its 36 tiles bears a unique color/sea creature combination.
After several turns, the board will start to look something like this…
At the start of the game, all 36 tiles are mixed up, and 6 are revealed to form the drafting pool.
The turn sequence is incredibly simple. First, the active player may move an existing tile in its row or column. A tile may be moved as far as the player wishes, up to the point where it either hits another tile or the edge of the board. Next, the player chooses a tile from the drafting pool and places it on an open space. Lastly, the player draws a new tile to refresh the drafting pool.
Move a tile, place a tile, draw a tile. That’s it!
… but as the game goes on, pieces will move around!
As players move and place pieces, they try to form groups of the same color or creature, whichever they are scoring for. The larger the group, the increasingly more points it’s worth. The game ends when the last tile is placed, and at that time, the player with the higher score wins!
I am not very good at games like Aqualin, but I enjoy them nonetheless. For me, classic simplicity is a huge plus, and Aqualin excels in this area. It is a solid addition to the KOSMOS 2-player line, alongside greats like Lost Cities, Kahuna, and Targi.
This game is very tactical. Players must think turn-by-turn, considering the best moves given the current board state; there is not much room for long-term planning. The interesting dynamic, of course, is that players want to help themselves, while trying not to help their opponent. In the rapidly shifting landscape of the board, however, this is easier said than done. Players will often be able to work off of their opponent’s moves in some way – it’s just a matter of limiting how much. With a strong emphasis on moment-to-moment decisions, this game challenges players to adapt their strategies as they go.
Aqualin’s production quality is high, with pleasantly tactile pieces reminiscent of the tiles in Azul. The rules are crystal clear and a breeze to read through. The game plays in about 15 minutes, so it is easy to play multiple rounds back-to-back. All in all, a lovely looking game with great pacing.
I think fans of abstract and puzzle games will really like Aqualin; my wife greatly enjoys both of those genres, and she too was quite impressed with this game. It’s another strong 2-player offering from KOSMOS.
A review copy was provided by KOSMOS.
The Bottom Line
