Real Time, Pattern Building with Tubyrinth
Tubyrinth is a 1-6 player, real time, pattern building game, designed by Martin Nedergaard Andersen, with art by Oksana Dmitrienko. In Tubyrinth players are racing to complete a pipe from one side of their player board to the other. Each player starts with their own set of polyomino shaped pipe pieces. (Uniquely themed to match their character) they choose one of the 41 different double sided player boards. These boards are an 8x8 grid with various obstacles blocking several clusters of cubes. There is a start mark and end mark along the edges of the board. After a 1,2,3 go! Players races to connect the start and end marks by using as many pipe pieces as possible.
This is not a mild, thinky, turn-based puzzle. Instead, it's a frantic race against time and players furiously try various pipe combinations in an attempt to beat the other players.
At first glance this game might appear similar to Patchwork or Cottage Garden but don't be deceived. This is not a mild, thinky, turn-based puzzle. Instead, it's a frantic race against time and players furiously try various pipe combinations in an attempt to beat the other players.
From the Box Tubyrinth 1–6 Players, ages 8+
Playing Time: 20 minutes
Designer: Martin Nedergaard Andersen
Artist: Oksana Dmitrienko
Published by: Lifestyle Boardgames Ltd
While points are awarded for finishing first and using more pipe pieces than the other players, we found the game worked better without keeping track of the points. Like Concept or Telestrations, Tubyrinth feels more like an activity than a game. The random player boards each offer different challenges and some of them can be quite time consuming to solve.
Sometimes the difference between finishing first and not finishing depended on which pipe piece you happen to have in your hand.
The random player boards each offer different challenges and some of them can be quite time consuming to solve.
The games components are fantastic. The 41 double-sided player boards are a bit thin, but they have a nice finish that more than makes up for it. There are 41 after all. The pipe pieces are good, thick card stock and the art by Oksana Dmitrienko is fantastic, the only fault being is that there isn't more of it.
Final Thoughts
If your group likes real-time, puzzle racers, you should definitely try Tubyrinth, and if they don't it's still a fun filler.
About Our Guest Contributor Matt McKenzie
Matt McKenzie is a dad. Like a real dad. He is also a husband. A real one of those too. He is a board gamer and a geek. A fanboy and an enthusiast. A comic book fan and movie fanatic. His gaming style is voracious and he prefers games that are played on a table and a lots and lots of lots of fun. His friends say that he is a swell guy and want to spend more time with him.
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