There’s a game design term, the kludge, which I love. It refers to an extra mechanism or rule which is added to deal with a problem elsewhere in the system. The temples in Tribes of the wind are the perfect example of this phenomenon. At some point the designer seems to have realised that you can end up with a real bummer of a hand of cards, stalling your progress towards sylvan Nirvana. Placing a temple allows you to jettison three cards (and immediately replace them) while gaining an immediate benefit. Which is fine, but it’s disconcerting to see the design ‘joins’ so clearly. The addition of the temples definitely smooths off the play experience, but at the expense of tension and variability. Why Defer Gratification? On each turn, players have three actions to choose from: play a card, build a temple, or construct a village. The choice you make will shape your strategy and influence your path to victory. Playing Cards One of the game’s most striking features is its beautiful artwork. The illustrations are not just aesthetically pleasing. They also serve to immerse players in the game’s post-apocalyptic, eco-friendlyworld. This visual appeal adds a layer of depth to the gaming experience. A Unique Twist on Card Play In this game, you’ll play as a Guide who uses elemental magic to fight against pollution. Have forests grow, build new cities in the canopy, and secure the future of mankind. Each Guide in the game comes with a series of special abilities which can change gameplay and with five different guides to choose from, there is plenty of space for replayability. I do like a bit of asymmetrical gameplay!

We were able to get hands-on with one of the most eye-catching releases during a demo session at this year’s Essen Spiel convention in Germany, finding out whether the gorgeous board game could live up to its inspiration. While the game’s unique card play mechanic adds a layer of strategy, it may not offer enough tactical depth for some players. The game’s focus on meeting certain conditions to play cards can sometimes limit strategic options, reducing the game’s tactical depth. Final Verdict: Tribes of the Wind A Game Worth Playing Players will have to plant forests, build new villages and temples, and decontaminate surrounding areas. There are a couple of other aspects of the game which are also a bit unsatisfying. There is an element of assymetry- each player has a selection of powers that they can activate under certain circumstances. This is a potentially fun wrinkle, but unfortunately neither the triggering circumstances nor the powers particularly affect the game, and so because you have to do everything (moving, clearing, building) yourself, there's very little benefit to specialisation. So this aspect feels very bland. Temple Of Kludge Tribes of the Wind offers a unique gaming experience with its innovative card play mechanics and immersive theme. The game’s beautiful artwork and strategic gameplay make it a standout in the board game world. Engaging and ChallengingPollution has covered the ruins of past civilizations. Only remain the Tribes of the Wind, flying from tree to tree to clean up the Forsaken Lands. I am concerned it won’t hit the table often enough to keep the iconography fresh, but that is probably my fault and not the game’s! All the components are good the wooden temples, villages and wind folk are the highlights here. The pollution and water tokens utilitarianly do the job. La Boite de Jeu is on the cusp of releasing a new board game that caught my eye due to its mechanics and its stunning artwork (by Vincent Dutrait!). Joachim Thôme has been working away on Tribes Of The Wind, a board game where your Guides work to reinvigorate civilisation after pollution has ravaged the world. Quite apt for this day and age. The one that earned the more points, depending on villages, temples, objectives, pollution, wins the game and is now considered as the best of the Tribes of the Wind. Info

Tribes of the Wind shines with several standout features that enhance the gaming experience. Let’s delve into the positive aspects of this innovative board game. A Visual Feast You can also take your time to build Temples which will give you bonuses during gameplay and help when scoring victory points at the end of the game. Finally, you can build a Village and this is where most of your points are going to come from. Villages are great as they can give you bonuses and help get to the end of the game but humanity will always generate pollution. So, you will need to work out the right balance when it comes to setting up Villages on your board. When someone builds their 5th village, the game will be about to end. The player with the most points, depending on pollution, villages, temples, layout of their forests and other various objectives, will be the winner!The person with the highest score gets to become global dictator for life. OK, no, but they win, and feel good about themselves as people. The game’s eco-friendly theme resonates with today’s eco-conscious mindset. It sends a powerful message about the importance of caring for our environment, making the game more than just a source of entertainment. Worth the Investment Everything about the gameplay works, especially at lower player counts. I will need some persuading to play this again at five player though, as it turned what should be a 40 to 60 minute game into an absolute slog. With that sort of time investment I would rather play something more meaty. Players may also send their wind riders to explore the area, plant forests or build villages and temples using all the gathered ressources. The innovative card play mechanics set Tribes of the Wind apart from other games. The requirement to satisfy certain conditions based on the types of cards in your hand and your opponents’ hands adds a unique twist. This mechanic encourages strategic thinking and careful planning, making each turn a puzzle to solve. Immersive Theme of Tribes of the Wind

The power of cards is affected by the cards of your neighbours - with the need to compare element types for most actions. There are a couple of other aspects of the game which are also a bit unsatisfying. There is an element of assymetry- each player has a selection of powers that they can activate under certain circumstances. This is a potentially fun wrinkle, but unfortunately neither the triggering circumstances nor the powers particularly affect the game, and so because you have to do everything (moving, clearing, building) yourself, there’s very little benefit to specialisation. So this aspect feels very bland. Temple Of Kludge

On your turn you will either play a card and carry out its action, discard three cards to place a temple, or build a village. Build a village: if you meet the requirement (number of Wind Riders on a forrest tile) you will be able to flip the concerned tile on its village side. Beware, some villages will generate pollution in nearby territories, but they will also grant you very useful effects to help you fulfill your quest. They will also grant you a village card which you will be able to use either for its immediate effect, or as an end game objecive that will bring you a lot of points if you manage to meet its conditions.