Patchwork Express

Recommended for Ages 6 & up
2 Players
10 minutes playtime

Description:
Patchwork Express features the same basic gameplay as Patchwork, but with a smaller playing area and with larger and less complex pieces.
In the game, each player tries to build the most aesthetic and high-scoring patchwork quilt on a personal 7x7 game board. To start play, lay out all of the light-colored patches at random in a circle and place a starting marker in a particular location. Each player takes some 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 starting marker or passes. To purchase a patch, you pay the cost in buttons shown on the patch, move the starting marker to that patchs location in the circle, add the patch to your game board, then advance your time token on the time track a number of spaces equal to the time shown on the patch. 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 earn button income: sum the number of buttons depicted on your personal game board, then take this many buttons from the bank.
Whats more, the time track depicts six 1x1 patches on it, and during set-up you place six actual 1x1 patches on these spaces. Whoever first passes a patch on the time track claims this patch and immediately places it on their game board.
At some point during the game, dark-colored patches are added to whats available for players to take, and these pieces are smaller than the light-colored ones, making it more likely that theyll fill in holes on a players board.

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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
Square Grid
Tile Placement
Time Track
Victory Points as a Resource