Through the Desert
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| Through the Desert | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Reiner Knizia |
| Players | 2–5 |
| Age range | 10-100 |
| Setup time | 5 minutes |
| Playing time | 45 minutes |
| Rules complexity | Low-Medium |
| Strategy depth | Medium-High |
| Random chance | None |
| Skills required | Abstract Strategy |
Through the Desert is a German-style board game by Reiner Knizia based on the placement of camels on a hexagon-based board. It was originally published in Germany with the name Durch die Wuste by Kosmos (game publisher).
OBJECT: Score the most points at the end of the game.
EQUIPMENT:
- 1 Gameboard
- 170 Camels (34 in each of 5 colors)
- 25 Caravan Leaders (5 of each color)
- 5 Oases
- 45 Water-Hole Tiles
SETUP: The gameboard contains 7 hexes on which 5 oases must be placed. The remaining two hexes.. in addition to 43 predetermined hexes.. will be covered with Water-Hole tiles that range in value from 1-3. In a 2-3 player game there is a section of the gameboard that will remain unplayed. In a 2-4 player game.. each player receives 5 caravan leaders.. one of each of the 5 colors. In a 5-player game.. each player removes a different colored caravan leader from the game. The number of camels used in a game is dependent upon the number of players. In a 2-player game only 22 camels of each color are used. In a 3-player game only 26 camels of each color are used. In a 4-5 player only 30 camels are used.
GAMEPLAY: In the first stage of the game players take turns placing a caravan leader on the gameboard. No caravan leader can be placed adjacent to an oasis.. adjacent to a caravan leader already placed on the gameboard.. or on a water-hole hex. In the first round of placement.. no player can place a caravan leader of the same color as one already placed on the gameboard. In a 5-player game.. the player placing the first caravan leader must place the caravan leader of the same color as the caravan leader player 5 removed from the game. In the second stage of the game players place 2 camels of any color(s) on the gameboard. The camels must connect to the caravan leader of that color and cannot be placed adjacent to an opponent's camel of the same color. In a 2-3 player game.. the player taking the first turn only places 1 camel. In a 4-5 player game.. the players taking the first two turns only place 1 camel.
SCORING: The first time a caravan is postioned on a hex adjacent to an oasis.. it scores 5 points for that oasis. 6 different caravans can score at any one oasis. If a player positions a caravan on a water-hole hex.. the water-hole is removed and added to that player's score. At the end of the game.. 10 points are awarded to the player with the longest caravan of each color. If two or more players are tied for the longest caravan of a particular color.. they all score 5 points.. If a player completely surrounds an area with one color caravan.. and that area contains no camels that are not part of the caravan.. that player scores 1 point for each non-oasis hex they have surrounded. In addition.. any water-hole tiles are added to that players score.. and a player receives 5 points for any oasis the caravan has surrounded.. provided the caravan has not already scored points on that oasis.
END OF THE GAME: The player with the most points wins the game. In the event of a tie.. the tied players share the win.
