TAMSK

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

TAMSK is the second board game in the Gipf project of six abstract strategy games. Players move sand timers in an attempt to limit the opponent's moves. The game is unique among the Gipf games in having time as a central game component, and the manner in which time is used is possibly unique amongst board games in general.

A timer must have sand running through from top to base to be eligible to be moved, and if it is moved it is turned over. Thus, rather than giving a set amount of time in which to make a move, the timers (each player has 3) all have variable amounts of time remaining in which they can be moved and that time will change any time a move is made. It can be beneficial to delay moving or to move as quickly as possible, and an opponent can use another timer to force a move if it is in their interest. Timers that have run through cannot be moved.

Each move increasingly restricts the usable playing area of the board (a mechanic it shares with its companion games ZÈRTZ and DVONN) which means TAMSK games move to an inevitable conclusion in a reasonable amount of time.

TAMSK has had fewer critical plaudits than other games in the Gipf project, and its elaborate production has meant a significantly higher retail cost, but it has generated enough demand and kudos to justify another print run so as of this writing (March 2006) it is available again (after a period where eBay copies were realising higher than retail prices).

Project GIPF
GIPF	TAMSK	ZÈRTZ	DVONN	YINSH	PÜNCT