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How to play Attika
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Attika is the latest game that has taken over my game time. It practically starts calling my name as soon as one game is finished. I've had a good amount of fun with it and wanted to introduce others to this little game. Here is my attempt... A picture is worth a thousand words. And with that in mind I have created this walk through. It should give you an idea of what Attika is about and how to play. What this cannot provide is a sense of the tension and turn angst that adds the 'flesh' to the 'bones' of this explaination. This does not cover every rule in detail. But it will give you a thumbnail idea of how to play. I've tried to use pictures that help illustrate each main aspect of the game. I trust it is not too confusing. Feel free to ask any claifying questions. My hope is that you will see the potential for a good amount of fun - which I feel this game offers.
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Posted On: 2007-02-12 17:40:28
Edited On: 2007-03-06 14:53:21
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Attika is a fairly simple game to learn. It is a medium light stategy game that is for ages 10 and up. It takes about 15 minutes to read the rules and after one game it all makes sense.
Pictured here is Attika's designer Marcel-Andre Casasola Merkle.
What is the game about? |
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Posted On: 2007-02-07 18:12:23
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Players are given small disks that represent 30 buildings. (Each player has exactly the same 30 buildings.) The object of the game is connect any number of your buildings (in any order) from one Shrine to another...OR... place all 30 of your buildings on the game board.
Pictured is a typical set-up for a two player game...with four hexagon tiles and two Shrines (one on either end). Players seek to build a line of buildings between both Shrines.
However, winning this way becomes less common as players increase their skill. Playing well requires players to block others. Usually games end with all 30 buildings being built. |
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Posted On: 2007-02-07 18:12:23
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How do you build a building?
This is one of the 30 buildings. (These are the four Cities - one from each player.) You will notice that each of these buildings have small symbols printed near the top. These represent the price a player pays in order to build that particular building. In this case, in order to play/build this City building on the board players must pay one of each of the resources...water, forest, hill, and mountain. (Each building has any combination of resources - from two to four.) |
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Posted On: 2007-02-07 18:12:23
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The game board is formed using these tiles. A two player game begins using four tiles, a three player uses six, and a four player uses eight. (The patterns for each set-up is illustrated in the rules.) The tiles are all the same size, but each is unique in that each offer a different combination of resources of water, forest, hill, and mountain.
When a player builds one of his buildings, and it is touching one of these resources, he may use them towards the cost of the building.
In this case, a player would be able to build his City in the centre of this tile for 'free' - as each resource needed to build it is offered. |
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Posted On: 2007-02-07 18:12:23
Edited on: 2007-05-21 08:14:52
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Players also have a hand of cards. These are also used to pay for building. They may be used in combination with those offered on the board.
Also, any two cards can be played to represent a needed resouce. You don't have any water cards? Just discard any two others. |
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Posted On: 2007-02-07 18:12:23
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At the start of the game, each player shuffles and stacks their 30 buildings in four random piles, face down in their playing area. (Three stacks of eight buildings and one stack of six main buildings)
On a turn players may draw the top building disk from a stack and enter it into the game. When a player draws his last building tile from one of his building stacks, he may then draw a new game board tile and add it anywhere he chooses (as long as it is touching at least one other game board tile or shrine).
In this way the game board grows as the game continues. |
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Posted On: 2007-02-07 18:12:23
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Each player receives a mat that displays all 30 buildings. As players draw their building tiles, they may either play them to the board or place them on their mat. In this way, buildings can be held until you are ready to build.
The mat also illustrates how the buildings are grouped. |
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Posted On: 2007-02-07 18:12:23
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The buildings are grouped into one of seven groups. Pictured here are the ten buildings for the "City" grouping. This is the largest in the game. Others are grouped with two buildings or four.
Grouping them has a two-fold purpose. First, it allows players to build some of their buildings for free...by building in the correct order. This is a little complicated to explain here, but arrows are shown connecting the buildings as illustrated on the mat. These arrows indicate the order they must be built in to qualify as free. Building in the direction of the arrows will allow players to build at no cost...as long as each building is adjacent to the next.
In this pictured example, if a player builds the City tile (second from the bottom in the centre) first, the buildings moving in the direction of the arrows, can be built free...as long as each one touches the next. |
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Posted On: 2007-02-07 18:12:23
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The Amphora
The second reason for the building groups is the Amphora...
If a player is able to build a group of buildings in such a way that they touch each other - as a group - that player receives one Amphora. This little wooden orange arrowhead like symbol entitles that player to one extra action during any turn. |
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Posted On: 2007-02-07 18:12:23
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Players are allowed limited actions per turn. They may either:
1) Draw two buildings from their stack(s). These may be played onto the board if the player wishes, and is able to pay the building cost - which may be free
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2) Players may build three buildings from their player mat. These are ones that have been previously drawn but not yet played.
After a player takes his 'two draws' or 'three builds' he may use an Amphora to complete one more of the same action. Or he may use the Amphora to draw a card.
(Pictured is a four player game in progress. The game board takes a different shape with every game.) |
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Posted On: 2007-02-07 18:12:23
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I haven’t done so well explaining this part...so thanks to some of you (like natestraight), this is tidied up a bit. Let me try again...
Players always have opportunity to draw cards. A player may always forfeit as many tiles draws (from a stack) or build actions (from the mat) as he wishes. He may use any action he did not choose to draw a card instead. In this way a player can draw as many as three cards on a turn, by forfeiting his option to build from his mat.
Or to put it another way...here are each players options on every turn:
Build 3 tiles (from the mat)
Build 2 tiles (from the mat), draw 1 card
Build 1 tile (from the mat), draw 2 cards
Draw 2 tiles, (from a stack)
Draw 1 tile (from a stack), draw 1 card
Draw 3 cards (build zero tiles)
Once a player begins drawing cards, no other building or drawing tiles may take place. And any amphora may be used to draw a card as well.
Choosing when to draw cards is important. While you can play for quite awhile without cards in your hand, (and build for free) players almost always need them eventually. Skillfully taking them at the right time in important. |
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