TacTile, designed by Joseph Bugbee and published by Friendly Bee Game Company, is coming to Kickstarter! This 2-4 player game is an abstract strategy game that blends classic tile movement mechanics with the possibility of adding a combo chain of events.
The game has a classic feel, with beautiful and clear design, making it seem as though it’s been on your shelf forever. Whether you're playing with kiddos, seasoned gamers, or someone just dabbling in board games, this game is easy to learn and takes about 30 minutes to play.
With its combination of tactical movement and engine building, TacTile! provides a deep and satisfying experience that’s sure to appeal to fans of abstract strategy games. If you’re looking to test your strategic thinking in a new and exciting way, this game is worth checking out.
Components
Before diving into the gameplay, let’s take a look at the components. Keep in mind that my review is based on a prototype, so some details might change in the final version
Every component in the game is colorblind friendly and has clear iconography!
Well written rulebook
36 Wood Tiles: The playing field is a 6x6 grid assorted randomly. There are nine tiles of each color. These tiles determining the paths and strategies you’ll use
64 Wood Resources: these are chunky wooden pieces. There are 16 blue, yellow, green, and red. You'll be able to acquire these to purchase Action Cards
8 Wood Player Discs: each player gets their own set of two
8 Wood Basic Action Cubes: each player gets two in their color. These are used to keep track of the basic actions you can take each turn
120 Action Cards: offering a wide range of possibilities for chaining actions and outmaneuvering opponents
4 Reference Cards: handy reminders of the actions you can take
Gameplay
TacTile! is all about strategic movement and smart card play. The goal is simple: be the first to score both of your discs by moving them onto the designated opponent score tiles. You can only move orthogonally; however, the path to victory is anything but straightforward!
Setup
Each player selects a color and collects their set of two action cubes, two player discs, and a reference card. The 4 black-edged home tiles are placed in the corners of a 6x6 grid, and the remaining tiles are shuffled and placed randomly to complete the grid.
Shuffle the Action Cards and deal out six face up. These becomes the market for anyone to purchase during their turn. Players then place their discs on their home tile. The home tile and player discs will be the same color
Objective
Race both of your your discs to your opponent home tile!
How to Play
On your turn, you may take up to two basic actions from a set of five options. These include moving one space, buying an action card, moving a disc, gaining a resource, or resetting the card market. The twist? You can’t repeat the same action in a single turn, so choose wisely!
Let's talk about Action Cards. These cards are available to purchase during your turn. You must have the two resources shown in the bottom of the card to acquire. Each Action Card can be activated once per turn and refreshes at the start of your next turn. They allow for actions like moving discs, gaining resources, or even pushing other players’ discs. The more you play, the more these chaining reactions will accelerate your path to victory!
Game Modes
This game adapts to your player count. It is balanced at 2, 3, and 4 players
2 Players: The showdown mode let's you and your opponent race to victory by placing your tiles in the diagonal home tile or opponent home tile if you wanna make it more competitive
3 Players: Let chaos ensue! Each player is racing to score their tiles on the far right and left home tiles
4 Players: 2 v 2 race. Be the first team to score three discs. The twist? You are competing with the person seating diagonally from you, and like in a two player game. You must score your tiles in their home plate
Pros 👍🏻
Accessible: easy to learn but challenging to master
Light game with a familiar theme and strategically rich
Multiple game modes to ensure replayability and adaptability based on your player count
Strategic depth: the combination of tile movement and action cards creates a dynamic and thought-provoking experience
Can be language independent
Cons 👎🏼
Prototype Stage: as with any Kickstarter project, the final components and rules may change
Player interaction: While there’s some direct interaction, the game leans more towards individual strategy and engine building
No solo mode
Sidenote
This is Friendly Bees Company second game. Their successful debut game Widgets n' Digit$ is about to be fulfilled. Check out my review about the game here!
Overall
TacTile is an abstract strategy game that offers a blend of simplicity and depth, making it accessible to new players and children. The rules are straightforward and the components are language independent (once you know what move, gain, buy, swap, and reset mean). The game adapts to each player count and the components are of good quality.
I am not sure when the game will go in Kickstarter, but I am ready to play it again!
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