Samsara
(revised release date is November 2008)
US$ 24.95, 3 x 3 x 15 inches
2-8 players, age 10 to adult
Play time averages 30-60 minutes, about 15-20 minutes per player usually
Includes: 1 game board, 40 follower pawns in 8 colors, rules
Ancient Buddhists used samsara to describe the world of illusion to which we return with every reincarnation until we are enlightened enough to reach the heaven they called nirvana. In Tibet, artists some times depicted the wheel of samsara in their mandalas as an eight-spoked wheel.
In this pure strategy game, you start with five followers who go out and try to convert as many others as possible. In every turn, you have four moves to divide between your follower pawns. Any time you have a greater number of pawns adjacent to an opponent's pawn, the total number of pawns on each side are compared, and if your number is greater, you absorb the opponent's pawn(s) beneath one of your pawns. When any player's last follower is absorbed, the player who controls the most pawns wins! In games of more than two players, you can negotiate and cooperate with other players to absorb larger stacks of pawns.
The game board is made of polyester over neoprene and rolls up and unrolls easily for transportation. The pawns come in a plastic tube for easy storage.
For questions:
