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| Designer(s) | Kris Burm |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | SmartGames |
| Players | 2 |
| Age range | 8 and up |
| Setup time | 0 minutes |
| Playing time | 30 minutes |
| Random chance | None |
| Skill(s) required | Strategic thought |
TZAAR is the seventh game released in the GIPF series and Games Magazine's 2009 Game of the Year.[1] It is the announced replacement for TAMSK, the second board game in the GIPF Project. With TAMSK being taken out of the series, the GIPF Project series is still at its intended final number of six games.[2] The game was officially released in 2008.[3] A special limited edition (1000 copies) pre-release version of the game (all numbered and signed copies) came for sale at the Spiel 2007 games fair in Essen.[4]
The game is a mix of stacking and capturing. Each player plays with 3 types of pieces: 6 tzaars, 9 tzarras, and 15 totts. In the initial phase of the game, the players put the pieces on the board one at a time in any order they choose. After this, the players take turns emptying the board. After the placement phase, every player must make 2 moves: first capturing an opponent's piece, and then either capturing another piece or strengthening their own pieces by stacking them. The only exception to this is the very first move of the game (by the white player), in which case only the first capturing move is made. Strengthening by stacking helps, since one is only allowed to capture pieces with a stone which is of equal height or higher. Whenever a player loses all of one type of piece (tzaars, tzarras, or totts), they lose the game. Also, if a player is unable to capture a piece in the first part of his/her move, that player also loses.[5]
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