$75.00
Through The Desert shines in how tight the gameplay can be. At the beginning of the game, the map looks wide open. But, as turns progress, it becomes harder and harder to score points. There's a "knife-fight-in-a-phone-booth" nature to the gameplay that reveals itself towards the end.
"The thing that's awesome about Through The Desert is the ratio of rules to gameplay... this is, easily, what I consider to be a classic game!" - Tom Vasel (The Dice Tower)
From the award-winning game designer Reiner Knizia comes a game of strategy, patience, and cool plastic camels! The desert is still treacherous, mysterious, and without mercy. But for those willing to risk the dangers of the shifting, sun-baked sands, the desert holds riches beyond compare.
In Through the Desert, two to five players each control a tribe of nomads vying for control of the desert. By establishing caravans and taking over oases, the players gain points as their tribes increase in power.
Strategy is essential in deciding how and where to build your tribe's caravans. There are multiple ways to gain points and several ways to win. Should you try to build the longest caravan? Or should you dominate the desert's oases? Don't forget to keep an eye on your opponents' caravans, or you may find your own tribe cut off from valuable water holes.
Through the Desert is part of the so called Knizia tile-laying trilogy.
Timeless Classic
A beloved classic gets the Allplay treatment. Decades of “play-testing” in the international tabletop community are on our side. It’s a title that’s truly worthy of the “timeless” label. Also, the incredible camel minis are back and better than ever!
Each Turn Is Important
There’s no time to waste when water is on the line. You only get 2 camel placements each turn. Do you get to that oasis before you’re blocked? Do you claim that valuable watering hole before your opponent? Or, do you lock in big points by blocking off a part of the board and claiming that territory?
Multiple Scoring Strategies
With a randomly seeded board and different play styles at every table, Through The Desert rewards both creativity and adaptability. As the game progresses, new opportunities open up as some disappear like a mirage. There’s no time to dwell on a missed opportunity. Take advantage of a different scoring option or area of the map! You’re almost never out of it!
Don't Forget Your Options
There are many ways to score in Through The Desert. Don't focus too hard on one strategy if it's easily blocked. If there's a lot of heat on one area of the board, maybe you can quietly surround some tiles or scoop up easy oasis spaces!
Take Your Time With Initial Placements
The beginning of Through The Desert has a lot of strategy! For some groups, the table talk starts before the first camel is even placed. Because the board is randomly seeded, the most optimal-looking areas change every game!
Tempo, tempo, tempo
When the board is empty, it looks like you can score everywhere. But, as it fills up, your opportunities dry up fast. Always think about tempo: that is, if there are moves that can't wait under threat of blocking, do those before moves elsewhere!
No sand included.
2–5 Players
45 Min Playing Time
Game Complexity (1=straightforward; 5=complex): 2.16
Age: 10+
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