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Alpino
The unique nature of the majestic Alps is the theme of the family game Alpino by Piatnik. Piece by piece, new habitats are created for ibex, lynxes, marmots, etc. If you want to win, you’ll need a good tactic: will you specialize in a single animal species, or do you prefer to rely on diversity? But the competition is also active, which is why the value of different animal species changes from round to round. In the end, points are awarded only for the largest group of each animal species. This requires special vigilance and adaptability, as well as paying attention to the actions of the competition.
Alpino includes 40 tiles that depict animals in various landscapes. On each one, there are figures of animals or a watering hole. Depending on the number of players, a corresponding number of uncovered tiles is placed in the center of the table in each round. Before the start, the scoring tiles with various species of animals and watering holes must also be arranged in a row. During the game, we learn how valuable each type of animal or watering hole is. At the beginning, each player receives a secret tile that could potentially change the course of the game at its end, thus ensuring tension until the very end.
The gameplay consists of several rounds, each bringing new challenges and opportunities. Each round is divided into three phases. In phase 1, you must expand your own area: in your turn, you choose one of the uncovered tiles and place it in your own exhibit. Similar to dominoes, you can only place it if at least one type of landscape on the new tile matches at least one neighboring type of landscape on the tile already on display. If not, the tile can be flipped. On the back of each tile, there are two water sources that can be placed anywhere in your area. Once everyone has completed this task exactly once, phase 2 begins: increasing the population of animals. The person holding the starting tile takes a landscape tile that has remained on the market and slides it under the corresponding scoring tile, such as that of the lynx. This means that the area with the greatest presence of lynxes is now worth two points. After reaching phase 3, preparations for the next round begin. This action is repeated until no new landscape tiles can be placed. Now things start to get interesting, as the secret tile comes into play. Each player in turn places it anywhere in their area, which may result in the creation of the largest group of a specific animal species. Because only for this can you gain points. The number of points depends on the number of landscape tiles among the scoring tiles. Points are awarded for each of the five types of animals and for the watering hole. Whoever collects the most points in total wins this tactical game for the whole family.
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