Patchwork

Recommended for Ages 8 & up
2 Players
15-30 minute playtime

Description:
In Patchwork, two players compete to build the most aesthetic and high-scoring patchwork quilt on a personal 9x9 game board. To start play, lay out all of the patches at random in a circle and place a marker directly counter-clockwise of the 2-1 patch. Each player takes five buttons — the currency/points in the game — and someone is chosen as the start player. On a turn, a player either purchases one of the three patches standing clockwise of the spool or passes. To purchase a patch, you pay the cost in buttons shown on the patch, advance your time token on the time track a number of spaces equal to the time shown on the patch, move the spool to that patchs location in the circle, then add the patch to your game board. Youre free to place the patch anywhere on your board that doesnt overlap other patches, but you probably want to fit things together as tightly as possible. If your time token is behind or on top of the other players time token, then you take another turn; otherwise the opponent now goes. Instead of purchasing a patch, you can choose to pass; to do this, you move your time token to the space immediately in front of the opponents time token, then take one button from the bank for each space you moved. In addition to a button cost and time cost, each patch also features 0-3 buttons, and when you move your time token past a button on the time track, you sum the number of buttons on your game board, then take this many buttons from the bank. Whats more, the time track depicts five 1x1 patches on it, and during set-up you place five actual 1x1 patches on these spaces. Whoever first passes a patch on the time track claims this patch and immediately places it on his game board. When a player takes an action that moves his time token to the central square of the time track, he places the purchased patch assuming he had purchased one and wasnt passing, then takes one final button scoring from the bank. Once both players are in the center, each player loses two buttons for each blank square on his game board. Whoever has the most buttons wins.

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Designer(s):
Uwe Rosenberg

Artist(s):
Klemens Franz

Board Game Geek Category(s):
Abstract Strategy
Puzzle

Board Game Geek Mechanic(s):
Card Drafting
Grid Coverage
Income
Square Grid
Tile Placement
Time Track
Victory Points as a Resource