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All Hail Knucklebeard!
Australia
Wodonga
Victoria
Thanks International SS for A Few Acres of Snow!
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This review continues my series of detailed reviews that attempt to be part review, part resource for anyone not totally familiar with the game.
For this reason I expect readers to skip to the sections that are of most interest.
Summary
Game Type - Board Game
Play Time: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Mechanics - Hand Management, Route Connection
Difficulty - Pick-up & Play (Can be learned in under 15 minutes)
Components - Very Good
Image Courtesy of laiernie
Overview
10 Days in Asia is the fourth in a series of games that essentially offer the same game play. How they differ is in the geography of the region used in each game and then further small tweaks are present in the movement mechanics.
The end goal however is the same for the entire series - Each player is attempting to be the first to create a 10 Day Travel Itinerary to travel around the region (in this case the Asian Continent). The only restriction is the Itinerary must be correct according to a set of movement rules.
The Components
10 Days in Asia uses few components, giving it a streamlined feel which won't overwhelm players.
 Board - The board depicts the continent of Asia, which extends to Turkey in the West, Russia in the North, Japan in the East and Indonesia in the South. Interestingly Turkey is featured in this version of the game and in Europe, whilst Australia is left out of the Asian edition. As an Aussie this is a little annoying but I guess the decision was made based on the size of Australia and the amount of board space it would require to still maintain a relative scale to other countries.
Two Oceans represent the naval zones used in Asia, the Indian and the Pacific. Several Seas also feature but they are only present for geographical accuracy and don't feature in the mechanics of the game itself. The exception is that the Indian Ocean does connect to the Persian Gulf and Red Sea, allowing access to a few more countries.
In all 5 colours are used to represent each country (pink, orange, blue, green and yellow). Each country has its name clearly printed on the board and several require an arrow to link the name to the country due to size difficulties. 10 Days in Asia is a little more challenging in this area as several countries are tiny in Singapore, Brunei and Bahrain whilst Malaysia is separated in two by the Pacific, which tends to throw up a question or two in the initial plays.
Being the latest in the series, 10 Days in Asia has been produced using the now standard 6-fold board and water image background for the Ocean zones.
The board also features an enlarged cut-away of the Middle East region, which is important to clearly identify borders and which countries are accessible via the Red Sea (Indian Ocean).
What sets 10 Days in Asia apart from other games in the series is the introduction of Railroad Lines that feature on the mainland of Asia. There are 4 Railroad Lines in all and they will be discussed in more detail later.
Image Courtesy of laiernie
 Tiles - The 2nd key component of the game are the tiles. In shape they are probably better described as cards but they really do feel more like tiles on account of their thickness. This design feature is excellent and will allow the game to stand up to hundreds of plays without really showing any wear.
Each tile represents a Country or a Transport type (Airplane, Ship or Railroad). Each Country Tile matches the colour of the corresponding Country on the board. The Airplane Tiles also come in the same 5 colours as the Country Tiles but the Ship Tiles and Railroad Tiles are colour neutral. The Ship Tiles will have either Atlantic or Pacific Ocean on them, whilst the Railroad Tiles have no designation and any Railroad Tile can be used to travel on any Railway Line.
Important to the educational aspect of the game, each Country Tile also depicts the shape of the Country, its landmass, its population and the Capital City.
Image Courtesy of laiernie
 Tile Racks - The final component used in the game are the Tile Racks that are used to hold each tile in a player's Travel Itinerary. These are made from wood and feature a central groove or slot used to place each tile in.
Each player receives 2 racks, each able to hold 5 tiles used to represent Days 1-5 and Days 6-10 in an Itinerary. The combination of the black painted wood, gold lettering of the Tile Racks and the Red coloured tile backs and box is meant to evoke thoughts of China, undoubtedly the major force within Asia at the present time (2000-2010).
Image Courtesy of sconway
 Rules - The rules are not a flashy affair but they get the job done and don't look to complicate things. After a few plays the game is obvious and players don't need to return to the rulebook at all.
 Box - I don't usually comment on things like the box but I do appreciate the size of the box used in this series. Thanks to good 'tray insert' design and some careful planning in relation to the components, the game is able to come in a square box no bigger than 23cms by 23cms. That means it will fit on any sized gaming shelf.
Image Courtesy of chezzilla
The Game Play
As mentioned earlier the aim of 10 Days in Asia is to be the first player to complete a 10 Day Travel Itinerary that is correct according to the movement rules of the game.
Set-Up - Each player must take a 'Day 1-5' Tile Rack and a 'Day 6-10' Tile Rack. The tiles should be mixed thoroughly. The players then take it in turns to select a tile and place it in one of their available Day Slots. Tiles placed in this fashion cannot be moved during the set-up phase of the game.
This set-up sequence continues until all players have filled all 10 slots in their Tile Racks.
The remaining tiles are then formed into 1 Draw Stack and 3 tiles are turned over to form the start of 3 face-up Draw Piles (think Ticket to Ride).
The game is ready to begin.
Basic Play - On a player's turn they have the opportunity to get rid of a tile from their Tile Rack and replace it with a new tile. In this way players are hoping to create links between Countries and Transport Tiles in order to complete their Itinerary and win the game.
Once a new tile has been drawn and an old tile discarded, the player's turn is over and play proceeds in clockwise fashion.
Drawing a Tile - Each player can draw a new tile in one of two ways. A player can draw a tile from one of the three face-up discard piles. Only the top tile from one of these piles may be taken however.
Alternately a player may not like any of the face-up tiles on offer and can therefore draw a random tile from the Draw Stack.
Once a tile has been drawn by a player they must discard a tile in order to make room for the new tile, which must be placed in the space made by the discarded tile). It is important to note that the drawing of a new tile takes place before a tile is required to be discarded.
Discarding a Tile - Tiles must be discarded to one of the 3 Discard Piles, which usually results in a tile being covered over. Normally there is no restriction as to which pile a tile can be discarded to. The exception is when a player draws the last tile from a Discard Pile. In this situation the tile discarded must be placed in the empty position, thereby ensuring that the game retains 3 Discard Piles at all times.
Exhausting the Draw Stack - It is unlikely that the Draw Stack will be exhausted in the course of a game. If it does occur then the tiles located in the Discard Piles are reshuffled to form a new Draw Stack. The only tiles not reshuffled in this way are the top tiles from the 3 Discard Piles. These remain on the table to maintain the 3 Discard Piles.
 Declaring the Win - When a player believes they have won the game they must announce it to the table and turn their tile racks around to show the other players their Itinerary. If the other players agree, then the game is won.
It is not uncommon for a player to have a small mistake in their Itinerary however and this results in the game continuing and the player who made the false claim has the disadvantage of their plans having been revealed.
The Heart of the Game
As the above game play section would suggest, 10 Days in Asia is a fairly straight forward game but what makes it work is the combination of the Map and the Movement Rules (this is true for the entire series).
The Movement Rules dictate how tiles must be placed in a player's rack if they are to form a correct Itinerary (thus winning the game).
The Map - A fourth game in the series could easily have been dismissed if it simply offered the same play as the first three games. Thankfully Asia freshens up the series even more than its predecessor in Europe, thanks to the continued inclusion of Water Zones and the inclusion of Railway Lines.
The Indian Ocean is crucial for helping create links between Western and Central Asia, whilst the Pacific is crucial to allow the inclusion of the many island countries.
But really it is the addition of the Railway Lines that makes Asia stand out. The net effect is that the players are given far greater scope in how they can build their itinerary and this makes careful consideration of which tiles to throw more important than ever before.
In general the Asian Map is fairly well designed. Most Countries have a good number of neighbours so that no one Country feels like it is mission critical. Those that are short of neighbours usually benefit from having a coastline and of course the Railway Lines are yet another means to ensure that Countries are not too isolated. .
In all 7 Countries benefit from having 2 Tiles - China, Russia, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia. All of these Countries have access to at least one of the Oceans and they are well distributed to all parts of the map. By including 2 Tiles for these Countries it helps to minimise the luck factor.
I have several gripes with the Asian map. First I do feel that there is more Country imbalance in this map than any other. Put simply the Countries of China, India, Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia are just too accessible for their own good. Consider the numbers -
China has 15 neighbours, can reach another 10 by water and then has the option of Rail.
Russia has 7 neighbours, a further 11 can be reached by water and 1 other Country can be reached by Rail, along with others that are either neighbours or reachable by water.
Iran has 7 neighbours, a further 19 can be reached by water and another 6 new countries are accessible by Rail (along with some duplicates).
I could go on for Iran, India and Saudi Arabia but I won't. The upshot is that these countries are almost certain keepers once found and you are a brave player to throw them out in the mid or late game periods as they could easily spell victory for another player.
This then means that Asia introduces a luck factor that is a little higher than what was present in past editions in the series.
My 2nd gripe comes from the inclusion of stand alone Island Countries like the Maldives and the Philippines. I reconise that geographical accuracy required their inclusion as such but without land bridges or neighbours they are hard to access (plane being the easiest option) and therefore they are rarely kept in an Itinerary. I consider them a waste of a turn if I draw them.
My 3rd and final gripe regarding the map is partially linked to gripe 2 and is backed up by the evidence presented when looking at the numbers for India above. The Pacific Ocean is indeed the poorer cousin of the Indian Ocean and in the games I have played, very few people have intentionally used the Pacific as it is quite difficult to navigate. Only 15 countries have a coastline on the Pacific Ocean whilst a whopping 20 are present in the Indian Ocean.
Now this comparison may not seem too alarming but you have to consider that the Pacific includes many an isolated country such as the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Brunei, South Korea and Japan. Then throw in the difficulty of getting China or Russia because of their usefulness and suddenly the Pacific is down to 8 useful destinations should you travel by Boat.
I'd suggest that a mainland Asia + Indian Ocean Itinerary would beat an Itinerary featuring the Pacific Ocean 70-80% (or more) of the time.
And yet there is still something engaging about Asia and it is the increased options available to the players thanks to the inclusion of an additional transport option, the Rail line. In short the transport options are -
Walking - Walking actually requires no Transport Tile at all. A player is simply allowed to walk from one Country to another provided that the two are located adjacent to one another. Ferries and Bridges at various points on the map allow some Countries to be regarded as adjacent for Walking purposes. In all 7 of these features are included and they serve to help some of the more isolated Countries.
Ship - 10 Days in Asia replaces the Car Transport featured in USA and Africa. Whilst this is largely a necessity due to the geography of Europe, it is a welcome change and helps the game feel more dynamic.
Both Ocean Zones have their own unique tiles that look the same but are differentiated by the inclusion of the zone name (Indian or Pacific).
To use a Ship Transport it must be placed between the Countries being traveled to and from. Both of the countries must have a coastline that connects to the Ocean being traveled through.
For example (using the map image at the top of this review), an Indian Ocean Tile can be placed between India and Iran to allow travel from one to the other.
As mentioned earlier the Water Zones are very important in Asia as they open up the options for travel. The Indian is more useful than the Pacific and reflecting this is the fact that there are 4 Indian Ocean Tiles compared to 3 Pacific Ocean Tiles.
Airplane Transport - There are 10 Planes in all, 2 of each colour. Planes allow a player to fly from one destination to another provided that both Countries are the same colour as the Airplane Tile. The Airplane Tile must be located in between the two Countries that are being flown to and from on a player's Tile Rack.
Railway Tiles - In all there are 4 Railway Lines, which are present on mainland Asia. These are depicted using iconography used on maps of the world (straight lines with a rigid effect). Each Railway Line passes through between 6 and 12 different Countries and travel is possible between any 2 Countries within the one Railway Line. Railway Tiles are simply placed between any 2 Countries on the same Railway Line to allow movement from one to the other.
Because the Railway Tiles are generic a single tile can be used to move on any of the 4 Railway Lines. With 5 Tiles featured in the game the Railway is an important and powerful mode of transport that opens up the game more than ever before.
The Pros & Cons
On the surface it may be hard to understand why anyone would play this game more than a few times. However the reality is that 10 Days in Asia and the whole series, is pretty addictive.
Pros -
Fun - It is really fun to try and connect up all 10 Days. Part of that fun is the challenge of formulating a plan and then executing it, one draw at a time. It really shouldn't be as fun as it is but there is no denying the appeal.
Good Game Design - Whilst it is possible to get yourself into a tight situation where only 1 tile will bring you victory, this aspect is reduced significantly with the inclusion of the Railway Lines. Now there is even more potential to combine various transport types to create a clever and effective Itinerary.
No Downtime - It is possible to plan ahead during other player's turns so each turn really doesn't take much more than 10-20 seconds. It is also important to watch what other players are discarding and collecting as you don't want to be throwing them useful tiles every turn and you don't want to miss out on a discarded tile that is vital to your plans. This means that all players are involved in the game at all times, which is always a good thing.
Scales Well - 10 Days in Asia scales really well. It feels pretty similar with 3-4 players but with 2 players it takes on a new dimension. With only 2 players it is super important to take note of where a player is focusing their attention. If your opponent has taken a tile from a Discard Pile, it is generally a bad idea to throw other tiles away from the same area. This then forces players to be smarter and look to build different parts of their Itinerary at different times in order to keep their opponent guessing.
Addictive - Whilst simple the game tends to throw up close finishes where multiple players are only 1 tile away from the perfect plan. Losing in this fashion is frustrating and addictive all at the same time and multiple plays in a single session are usually the norm thanks to the quick play time.
Educational - The educational nature of the game should not be overlooked either. Multiple plays will have children and adults alike recalling the location of Countries from the Asian Region. Being able to learn about the population centers of Asia, the relative size of Countries and their Capital Cities is also a bonus. Add in the increasing importance of Countries like China and India and 10 Days in Asia becomes a useful teaching tool.
 Time Frame - Thanks to the inclusion of Railway Lines, 10 Days in Asia plays faster than any other game in the series to date. There are just so many options for travel now that a game can finish 5-10 minutes earlier than other games in the series. If a game can offer bigger bang and more options in a shorter play time, then I'm all for that.
Cons -
Due to the geography of the region and the added transport option of the Railway I do believe that Asia comes with the biggest map imbalance in the series so far. I've covered the reasons why in the 'Heart of the Game' section and won't go over them again here.
Whilst the game is educational it is a shame that the landmass information features the use of Square Miles instead of Kilometers, for countries outside the USA.
Stats at a Glance
This section is useful for comparing games in the series -
10 Days in the USA
Number of Destinations - 50
Transport Options (3) - Walking, Car, Plane
Unique Feature 1 - Alaska and Hawaii only reachable by Plane Tile and any coloured Plane can be used to reach these destinations.
Unique Feature 2 - There is only 1 Tile for each destination.
10 Days in Africa
Number of Destinations - 40
Transport Options (3) - Walking, 4-Wheel Drive, Plane
Number of 2 Tile Countries - 5
Unique Features - There are actually no unique features in Africa compared to other games in the series but it was the first to include 2 Tiles for some destinations and a 'land bridge' to link an island to the mainland (Madagascar - 2 separate land bridges).
10 Days in Europe
Number of Destinations - 41
Transport Options (3) - Walking, Ship, Plane
Number of Oceans/Seas - 3
Number of 2 Tile Countries - 5
Unique Features - There are actually no unique features in Europe compared to other games in the series but it was the first to include Oceans and Seas, which allowed travel by Ship. The inclusion of Water Zones also meant Europe was the first to include Ferries and Bridges, which make 2 countries adjacent for game play purposes.
10 Days in Asia
Number of Destinations - 50
Transport Options (3) - Walking, Ship, Train, Plane
Number of Oceans/Seas - 2
Number of 2 Tile Countries - 7
Unique Features - Trains are included as a transport method for the first time in Asia and they help make it the most engaging game in the series so far with no less than 4 Transport Options.
The Final Word
Despite my gripes regarding potential imbalances in the map design, I still feel that 10 Days in Asia is the most engaging game in the series so far. There are 3 key reasons for my view that help overturn the concerns -
For the first time since the original 10 Days in the USA, Asia offers a map that features 50 destinations. That allows for a lot of Itinerary combinations and that helps to make each play feel a little different from the last.
More Transport options and the large number of Countries combine to provide the players with more choices in how they build their itinerary. Choice and decision making are at the heart of why people enjoy games, so it is a big thumbs up for Asia here.
The implication of Point 2 is that a winning combination can be found more quickly than in other games in the series. This is not always the case of course but I have played in quite a few games that were lightning quick. I'm all for getting 3 games played in under an hour.
Combine the asking price with the re-playability of the game and any game in the series is going to provide good value for money.
So yet again Out of the Box have managed to take their 10 Days concept and create a new experience that is different and still compelling.
I give Asia the edge ever so slightly over Europe as the game I'd buy if I only wanted 1 game from the series. Of course people are likely to make a decision based more on where they live in the world and any needs they may have from an educational viewpoint.
Gamers however may look to the game play first and for me that means Asia.
Links
10 Days in the USA
10 Days in Africa
10 Days in Europe
This now completes my series of Reviews on the '10 Days in...Series'. Thanks for reading this and possibly other reviews in the series. I hope they've been useful.
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Nick McElveen
United States
Alexandria
Virginia
Mmmmmm..... Beer. Glug glug glug....
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Well, I was just going to write a review of 10 Days in Asia concluding that it was the best in the series and the one to get, but finding your excellent review, I see that you've got it totally covered already.
I was exposed to Asia first and liked it so much I bought all the others. And, predictably, I've been disappointed with all the others. The only use I've found for them has been abutting them to the Asia map to play a bigger game.
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David F
United States
Emeryville
California
Set up a lot of the PBF framework for BSG, Runewars, Small World, The Devil's Castle. PBF in Gears of War, Death Angel, A Game of Thrones. Currently playing Twilight Struggle, Middle-Earth Quest and Eclipse on Vassal.
I'm anal about using the right terms to describe games and have posted an alternative glossary to the inconsistent sprawl in BGG's database and lexicon that is clear, accurate and simple. I care big time about my reviews, ratings and comments.
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Quote: 10 Days in Asia scales really well. It feels pretty similar with 3-4 players but with 2 players it takes on a new dimension. With only 2 players it is super important to take note of where a player is focusing their attention. If your opponent has taken a tile from a Discard Pile, it is generally a bad idea to throw other tiles away from the same area.
Actually, I think this is what you should do in the 3/4-player game. With 2 players, the added dimension for me is that when your opponent discards a tile, is it because he doesn't want it (in which case you should keep that tile exposed in the discard pile), or because he wants to draw it into his hand his next turn to put it in a different place (in which case you should draw it or put something on top of it)? You cannot attempt to "rearrange" your tiles like this in the 3 or 4-player game because chances are very high the tile won't come back to you.
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Brian Stephens
Australia
Mt Martha
Victoria
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Great and comprehensive review Neil.
I would, however disagree with a couple of your points.
(1) We find that both the Pacific and the Atlantic often feature in the winning route. Indeed, I'd say the the "poor cousin" which is rarely used would be the railroads (although again they do allow some clever re-routing of your journey when the card draw doesn't suit).
(2) I find the "big boys" like China, Iran, Russia, etc actually add to your strategy choices as drawing one of them sometimes forces you to re-design your entire route to avoid discarding one of them.
(I do think China is a little overpowered however with 28 card allowing entry/exit compared with the other countries. The second most is India with 20 cards allowing entry).
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Thanks International SS for A Few Acres of Snow!
