Almadi, Game of the Month – February 2022
Well February has disappeared and with it, the once in a lifetime date 22.02.2022, obviously all dates are once in a lifetime, but people got excited about that particular twosday. I must confess, I didn’t! What I did get excited for was a few cool new games dropping through the letterbox. Not literally, my letterbox doesn’t take the standard 30 x 30 box! However, these are all games I hope to tell you about in upcoming reviews very soon. The highlight for me, was a new to me board game that I believe deserves a lot more attention than it has mustered so far, that game is Almadi.
I’d been eager to try Almadi for a while, but it kept getting pushed back down the list by other new arrivals. However, the time had come for me to rip the shrink of this game and get it to the table. Well hold onto your camel trains, because the game that landed on the table was a mirage of scoring opportunities! An oasis of tile-laying and tile-shifting that felt like a roll and write in board game form. I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but the way the tiles jump around your board (thanks to activating a genie), create those cascading rewards that are usually found with pen and paper.
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Almadi is fairly easy to learn and will accommodate two to five players. I’ve only played it at two and three so far and I’m not sure I fancy it at higher counts as it might drag. At two and three it has a nice 40 minute playtime while offering plenty to get the grey cogs whirring. The complexity of Almadi can be ramped up a little with character cards that grant special abilities too. I added these in on my third play and haven’t looked back. The cards do add another level of strategy to the game. That said, I’d gladly play with new players without them as that still offers plenty of puzzle alone. I will also confess that I have enjoyed it so much I have dabbled playing it on Board Game Arena too and the digital implementation is very good.
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So there you go, Almadi was my game of the month for February. I really would suggest seizing the opportunity to play it, if you get the chance!
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Reviewer’s Note
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Reviewer’s Note
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