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Players: 2 or 4 (ages 8+)
Playing Time: 60-90 minutes
While circles have been an integral part of art and science throughout history, DaVinci’s Challenge succeeds at encompassing hours of fun into such a simple shape.
The layout of the game board is fairly simple. It’s basically a large circle with a uniform curve pattern running through it. Game pieces fit in the oval or triangular spaces that the board’s pattern creates. The object of the game is to create smaller patterns with your playing pieces, such as an hourglass, pyramid, or star. Players score points by creating these patterns with their pieces. The player who scores the most points at the end of the game is the winner.
One of the positive aspects of this game is that the patterns vary in the amount of points awarded, based on difficulty. This makes the game challenging enough for younger players as well as engaging for the more skilled players.
Additionally, you can play in teams of two, which is a great option for parents who want to play with their kids or for those who prefer games for groups.
The game can be intense at times, particularly because you always need to be paying attention. Not only do you need to be aware of and try to anticipate your opponent’s moves in order to block him, but you must also pay close attention to which patterns you create each time, since you must claim them during that turn. One of the best things about this game is that there are various ways that you can strategize. You can create lots of low-scoring patterns or try for the big points all at once with a complex pattern.
DaVinci’s Challenge is fresh in concept, but it also incorporates many of the trademark aspects of Go: the rules are simple, but play is rich in strategic complexity, incorporating the need to play both offensively and defensively to win the game. In other words, it’s easy to learn but challenging to master.
