Tribes of The Wind | Strategy Game | Ages 14+ | 2 to 5 Players | 60 Minutes

Product Information

There’s one more mechanism here worth mentioning, because it’s potentially interesting but not handled here in a way that gets the best from it. When you complete a village, you draw a card and choose either an immediate bonus, or an objective which could maybe score you points at the end. This is potentially an interesting choice. The trouble is that the likelihood of these objectives being completed depends on the length of the game, and taking an immediate bonus will speed the game up. Therefore, the immediate bonus is almost always the best option. Again, Tribes of the Wind doesn’t quite use its ideas well enough. Just The Two Of Us (Preferably) The innovative card play mechanics set Tribes of the Wind apart from other games. The requirement to satisfy certain conditions based on the types of cards in your hand and your opponents’ hands adds a unique twist. This mechanic encourages strategic thinking and careful planning, making each turn a puzzle to solve. Immersive Theme of Tribes of the Wind The central innovation of the game, and the hook that draws gamers to it, is that the effectiveness of your cardplay is affected both by what other cards you have, and also sometimes by the cards that your immediate neighbours have. So you are constantly looking to see what sequence of card play would be optimal, and hoping that the sweet 6 red cards that will super-power your pollution-clearing efforts will still be around next time it’s your turn. On each turn, players have three actions to choose from: play a card, build a temple, or construct a village. The choice you make will shape your strategy and influence your path to victory. Playing Cards

Players may also send their wind riders to explore the area, plant forests or build villages and temples using all the gathered ressources. From our short time with the game, Tribes of the Wind proved that it’s more than just a gorgeous tribute to Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Designer Joachim Thôme manages to take a simple set of actions - clear, build, fly - and find a compelling loop as players gradually build up their own board while jostling with their neighbours for the resources they need. There are a couple of other aspects of the game which are also a bit unsatisfying. There is an element of assymetry- each player has a selection of powers that they can activate under certain circumstances. This is a potentially fun wrinkle, but unfortunately neither the triggering circumstances nor the powers particularly affect the game, and so because you have to do everything (moving, clearing, building) yourself, there's very little benefit to specialisation. So this aspect feels very bland. Temple Of KludgeThe aftermath of an apocalypse is an increasingly common grounding for games, both digitally and on the tabletop. Some (The Last of Us) take a narrative approach, where players act as a group of protagonists against a generally hostile environment. Others such as Dead of Winter introduce the possibility of deception and betrayal into the dynamic of survival. 2017’s Outlive pitches you in direct competition with other bands of survivors, as well as environmental hazards. And then, there are games like Tribes of the Wind, where the destruction of human civilisation is included solely for decorative effect. Apocalypse Wow Pollution has covered the ruins of past civilizations. Only remain the Tribes of the Wind, flying from tree to tree to clean up the Forsaken Lands. Each turn, players can perform one action - usually boiling down to playing a card from the row in front of them. These cards are colour-coded to four key elements: water, earth, fire and wind, allowing players to claim the vital resource of water, replant forests using said water, clear out pollution from squares on their board or move wind riders around (more on that in a second). One of the game’s most striking features is its beautiful artwork. The illustrations are not just aesthetically pleasing. They also serve to immerse players in the game’s post-apocalyptic, eco-friendlyworld. This visual appeal adds a layer of depth to the gaming experience. A Unique Twist on Card Play

The game’s eco-friendly theme resonates with today’s eco-conscious mindset. It sends a powerful message about the importance of caring for our environment, making the game more than just a source of entertainment. Worth the Investment The game concludes when a player builds all five villages. Players then finish the current round and calculate their scores. The player with the most victory points wins the game. The Element of Strategy in Tribes of the Wind This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.Villages provide victory points, while temples - not seen here - can be constructured for a one-off bonus. The aftermath of an apocalypse is an increasingly common grounding for games, both digitally and on the tabletop. Some (The Last of Us) take a narrative approach, where players act as a group of protagonists against a generally hostile environment. Others such as Dead of Winter introduce the possibility of deception and betrayal into the dynamic of survival. 2017's Outlive pitches you in direct competition with other bands of survivors, as well as environmental hazards. And then, there are games like Tribes of the Wind, where the destruction of human civilisation is included solely for decorative effect. Apocalypse Wow As we conclude our review of Tribes of the Wind, it’s clear that this game brings a unique blend of elements to the table. Despite its shortcomings, the game’s strengths make it a worthy addition to any board game collection. A Unique Gaming Experience Build a village: if you meet the requirement (number of Wind Riders on a forrest tile) you will be able to flip the concerned tile on its village side. Beware, some villages will generate pollution in nearby territories, but they will also grant you very useful effects to help you fulfill your quest. They will also grant you a village card which you will be able to use either for its immediate effect, or as an end game objecive that will bring you a lot of points if you manage to meet its conditions. The power of cards is affected by the cards of your neighbours - with the need to compare element types for most actions.

During a game of Tribes of The Wind, you will be playing as a guide who can use their elemental magic to fight the pollution that ravaged the world. You will be growing forests, building temples and cities and securing the future of mankind. Sounds like an easy task right? There's one more mechanism here worth mentioning, because it's potentially interesting but not handled here in a way that gets the best from it. When you complete a village, you draw a card and choose either an immediate bonus, or an objective which could maybe score you points at the end. This is potentially an interesting choice. The trouble is that the likelihood of these objectives being completed depends on the length of the game, and taking an immediate bonus will speed the game up. Therefore, the immediate bonus is almost always the best option. Again, Tribes of the Wind doesn’t quite use its ideas well enough. Just The Two Of Us (Preferably) I am concerned it won’t hit the table often enough to keep the iconography fresh, but that is probably my fault and not the game’s! Build a Teample so as to earn the corresponding bonus, and to score some points at the end of the game. This action is also a good way to change your hand’s content, as you will have to discard 3 cards to build your temple.

Key Facts

Each Guide in the game comes with a series of special abilities which can change gameplay and with five different guides to choose from, there is plenty of space for replayability. I do like a bit of asymmetrical gameplay! Players will have to plant forests, build new villages and temples, and decontaminate surrounding areas. La Boite de Jeu is on the cusp of releasing a new board game that caught my eye due to its mechanics and its stunning artwork (by Vincent Dutrait!). Joachim Thôme has been working away on Tribes Of The Wind, a board game where your Guides work to reinvigorate civilisation after pollution has ravaged the world. Quite apt for this day and age. There’s a game design term, the kludge, which I love. It refers to an extra mechanism or rule which is added to deal with a problem elsewhere in the system. The temples in Tribes of the wind are the perfect example of this phenomenon. At some point the designer seems to have realised that you can end up with a real bummer of a hand of cards, stalling your progress towards sylvan Nirvana. Placing a temple allows you to jettison three cards (and immediately replace them) while gaining an immediate benefit. Which is fine, but it’s disconcerting to see the design ‘joins’ so clearly. The addition of the temples definitely smooths off the play experience, but at the expense of tension and variability. Why Defer Gratification?

The game’s strategic elements and unique card play mechanics make it both engaging and challenging. It encourages players to think, plan, and strategize, keeping them invested in the game. A Game with a Message

Once someone has completed 5 villages there is a final round and then each player scores points for the following Thinking about the description of the game so far, how many players do you picture- around the table? Three? This would be the ‘standard’ number of players for this game, allowing every player to have two neighbours. And it’s fine for three players. The one that earned the more points, depending on villages, temples, objectives, pollution, wins the game and is now considered as the best of the Tribes of the Wind. Info