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). 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 symbology on the cards is clear. I wish there was a reference card for the symbols, as a couple are quite similar and could be confused on early plays. Although once you are used to it, you find yourself reaching for the clarification less and less. If a period of time goes between plays I will certainly need a refresher! But how do you convert a bombed out power station into a verdant treehouse? By following the following steps: Players may also send their wind riders to explore the area, plant forests or build villages and temples using all the gathered ressources.

Players may also send their wind riders to explore the area, plant forests, or build villages and temples using all the gathered resources.When someone builds their 5th village, the end of the game is triggered. The player with the most points, depending on pollution, villages, temples, layout of their forests, and other various objectives, wins! The person with the highest score gets to become global dictator for life. OK, no, but they win, and feel good about themselves as people. 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 Vincent Dutrait artwork sets the tone nicely for the game. The artwork on the cards is individual, some have a similar look but with subtle details swapped out that makes it fun to spot the differences. 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 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. 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 WindThe 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 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? Players will have to plant forests, build new villages and temples, and decontaminate surrounding areas.

Tribes of the Wind isn’t Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind: The Board Game, but it may as well be. Tribes of the wind is essentially a race to build 5 villages across a previously polluted wasteland. Strictly, it’s possible to be the first to complete this race and not win, it’s just never happened in our plays. 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? In conclusion, Tribes of the Wind is a game worth investing in. It offers a unique blend of strategic gameplay, beautiful artwork, and an immersive theme. Despite its shortcomings, the game’s strengths make it a standout in the world of board games. Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or a newbie, “Tribes of the Wind” is a game worth playing. It’s a game that challenges, engages, and entertains, making it a worthy addition to any board game collection.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.