Pagoda

A two-player tower race where every pillar must match the color already on the ground floor.

Designer: Arve D. Fühler
Published by: Pegasus Spiele
Editions by: Alderac Entertainment Group, Swan Panasia Co., Ltd., White Goblin Games, Matagot, Surfin' Meeple China

Two players, one pagoda and a hand of colored cards that never quite fits. You build colored pillars on the ground floor, and once a pillar is down, every other pillar there must match its color. Place the fourth pillar on a level and you cap it with a floor tile, which scores a point and unlocks two actions on your personal action board. Higher floors pay more, so every level you finish also opens a door for your opponent to climb. Each of you holds five cards face up and two face down, so you plan around what you can see and what you cannot. A 2014 duel for ages 8 and up, about 45 minutes.

Strictly two playersFloor tiles unlock color actionsPillars score more the higher they go

Who it's for

You want a compact two-player puzzle with a pretty tower at the end and a bit of counting along the way.

Not for you if…

You are more than two, or you dislike hand-management games where one bad card draw stalls your plan.

Vibe's take

Quiet but tense. You are constantly weighing a cheap point now against handing your opponent a floor to build on, and the face-down cards keep you guessing about what comes next.