Aqualin

Two players build one reef: one chases colors, the other chases species.

Designer: Marcello Bertocchi
Published by: KOSMOS
Editions by: IELLO, Devir, 999 Games, Zvezda

There is turmoil on the reef, and sea animals keep forming swarms. Aqualin is a two-player abstract game on a square grid of colorful stones, each showing a sea creature. On your turn you pick one of the available stones and place it on an empty field, and you may move a stone first to set up a better swarm. Here is the twist: one of you scores groups of the same color, the other scores groups of the same species. The larger the group, the more points it is worth. You are building the same board and fighting over it from opposite directions. About twenty minutes, two players only.

One scores colors, the other scores speciesMove a stone before placing a new oneLarger groups score more

Who it's for

You want a clean two-player duel on a small grid, something between Blokus and a pattern puzzle that two people can share.

Not for you if…

You are more than two or want any theme to matter. This is a pure two-player abstract.

Vibe's take

Quiet and sneaky. Every stone you place helps your own goal and gets in the way of your partner's, so you are constantly spotting double-purpose moves.