Well, I have greatly enjoyed the GIPF series and have always wanted to write a review for one of them. While TAMSK is probably not my favorite of the games (this goes between YINSH and DVONN) I really feel like this is the one I have the most fun with and has the most original feel of any 2 player abstract I've played in a long time.

First, the game is an abstract strategy in which the goal is to get more rings on the board than your opponent by moving your pieces among the board and adding a ring to that space until the space is full. Your best strategies seem to involve cleverly blocking in your opponent to keep him from moving his pieces, then limiting his movement to a smaller area than that available to yourself. However, it isn't quite that simple.

Each of your pieces also happens to be a small timer. When moved, the timer is flipped, starting the sand running in the opposite direction. Then you have up to 3 minutes to move it again before it is stuck in place and becomes immovable. This means that, at least early in the game, you had better be able to move all your pieces or you will lose your mobility and most likely be at a disadvantage. Not only that, but your opponent can set another 15 second timer forcing you to make your next move in that time frame, or forfeit two(!) turns. This makes you not only have to move smart, but gives the game a constant feel of tension as you hurry to keep all your pieces moving as well as finding your best move ASAP.

What the game, for me, all comes down to, is the variety of things you have to pay attention to. You need to know what spaces on the board are blocked so you don't trap yourself in, but you also need to know when to move your piece so you don't lose it. Knowing the locations and time left in the opponents pieces also is good, but you will often have only 15 seconds to gather all this information and formulate a worthwhile strategy. All of this will keep your mind running at full steam and I always get a huge thrill of excitement when I see a great move or when I force an opponent's timer to run out. If you want a game where you can consistently look ahead and plan your moves, this is not the game, but if you want a game that combines fast paced play with on-the-fly plans and tight monitoring, this is it.

And remember, with a limited board size and the constant race against time, each game ends in under 15 minutes. I highly recommend this for anyone who plays 2-player games often.