In Ta Yü, a sumptuously produced game of connections, one side tries to extend from the starting tile in the center to reach the western and eastern edges of the board while the opposing side tries to reach the northern and southern edges. On your turn you simply draw a tile and decide where to place it, extending the network of tiles already on the board.
Several refinements make this simple proposition into an engrossing game. First, each tile is 3x1 (to be played on a 19x19 board) and has exactly three outlets (potential connection points). This 3x1 tile turns out to be much more interesting than the 1x1 tile in other connection games. Second, your score is not simply the number of spots you've reached on one edge added to the number of spots you've reached on the other, but is the product of those two numbers. So you can't just concentrate on one side and ignore the other, because zero times anything is still zero. Third, on each side of the board there are three special points which score double if reached, adding a dab of focus to the choices.
Interestingly, you need to play both offense and defense and will often have to decide to which use to put a particular tile.
Ta Yü is a game where you do the best you can with the luck of the draw, and there's really nothing to do on your turn but look at the tile you've drawn and spend a few seconds deciding where to place it. So it doesn't bog down into analysis paralysis, but at the same time it's not a game for the impatient or for those with a passion for "control."
In the partnership game, partners are not allowed to advise each other on their placements. This works well because a) it saves the time the discussion would take and b) it means both players get to play, not just the stronger partner, but it does mean you tend to get a relatively quiet 45-60-minute game rather than a laughfest.
In the 3 player variant, two players will play as normal, with one trying to connect North-South and the other trying to connect East-West. The third player seeks to stop both players from scoring. The 3rd player is chosen by a bidding process, with players bidding lower amounts until two players pass. The number bid is the score that the 3rd player is trying to prevent either of the other two players from reaching. For example, if the bid is 15, then the 3rd player must keep both players from scoring 15 points or more. Once a player has reached the bid number, the 3rd player is eliminated from the game as he can no longer win. If the 3rd player prevents both players from reaching the bid number, he wins. otherwise, the player with the most points wins.
The solitaire rules on the geek are not bad at all if you want to get used to how things connect up or even if you just enjoy the sensation of those heavy tiles clicking as you play.
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