Players start with three different tiles from the stack. These tiles have lines that will create various pathways. The board is set up as a grid, and your tile must be played in front of your marker in a way that will progress it onward. If your path intersects with a tile that has already been played, you must follow any paths that your marker comes across. If the stack of tiles runs out you must wait until another player is eliminated to get another one.
2-8 players. 10-25 minutes. No expansion available. Very easy learning curve.
Becky says:
This game is super simple, and one of the best parts
about it is that it is so versatile. It
makes a good "filler" game, that is, something that you can play if
you're looking to pass just a little bit of time or if you don't want to
dedicate a whole evening to board games (we often play in large groups where
multiple games are going on at once, so we use filler games when one group is
finished and waiting for the other group so we can decide on the next big
game). It holds anywhere from 2-8
players, and usually only takes around 10-15 minutes, though we've had games as
short as 5 minutes and as long as 25. It's
pretty easy to explain as well.
Also, for a simple game, the artwork is really
lovely. They use some lovely colors, so
instead of your typical red/blue/green/yellow pieces, you have gray, white,
black, a dark red, a "caramel color," and a few others. The dragon and phoenix art is gorgeous, I
feel like it's something that I want to frame and hang up on my wall.
I personally feel that there's not a ton of strategy
involved, and it tends to lean much more toward a "random" game where
luck plays a big part. That being said,
there is still at least a bit of strategy, usually closer to the end of the
game, to help you feel like you have a little bit of control in it. In do encourage people to try not to
strategize too much, because I think it can really slow down what is otherwise
a quick game if players spend a long time analyzing each piece and trying to
plan multiple turns in advance.
Overall I like Tsuro.
It's an enjoyable filler game, though it doesn't exactly blow me away in
any way. We've probably introduced it
to at least 20 people by this point, and everyone that has tried it has enjoyed
it - gamers, non-gamers, young, and old.
So I think there's something to be said for a game that appeals to such
a wide group. 8 out of 10.
Jason says:
I've been on a bit of a kick for the smaller games
lately. The ones that don't have to be epic, intense, hours-long
experiences. Tsuro fits into the smaller category. In fact, Tsuro
may have the simplest learning curve of any game I've ever played. Yes,
it might be easier than Candy Land (because there's no counting of colored
dots).
So, to recap the rules:
you have three tiles with winding paths on them. Play one, and find out
where your dragon stone goes. Fly off the side of the board and you
lose. Be the last one in play. I love it because a toddler could
play it and enjoy it. Even if someone can't fully comprehend the
consequences of their turns entirely, it can still be a nice game with a
refreshing pace and some very pretty artwork.
The whole game is over within
ten or fifteen minutes, which means it definitely doesn't test anyone's
patience. Better yet, players still feel involved during other players'
turns; because of how dramatically any one tile can change the whole
game, you are compelled to pay attention.
Now, there might be one
criticism about the game: since every turn can have a huge impact, when more
people play, it becomes chaotic to a point where it all seems based on how
lucky your path is. However, I don't think that is so, because sometimes
it's just about watching the chaos unfold and having a good laugh about the
crazy things the pieces do on their way off the edge of the board.
Sometimes it's just about following your path.
What can I say negatively
about the game? Well, I haven't decided if this game has a lot of replay
value or not. With fewer people, you do get more turns, but it is easy to
fall into a defensive style and just try and avoid your opponent. If this
happens, you each just spend most of the game wandering around until the very
end, when either you die or you don't. If you are competitive and you try
to actively thwart your opponent, it can be a little better, but then again it
could still be frustrating how little control you can wrest from your
opponent. Moral of the story is this: the game is for fun, not to
compete. If you play this game just to win, then you've already lost
everything valuable this game can give.
Oh, one more thing: I love how
easy it is to take a conversation about the game and turn it into something
philosophical, like "you must follow your path, wherever it goes," or
"our paths meet, and I am in your hands now" or "the path will
always end once all the tiles are played, and you should only hope to stay on
the board as long as you can." Yes, these are pieces of
conversations I've actually had about the game, and for that alone, I think
this game deserves some credit. 7.5/10 worth of credit.
