All cards are divided into two halves and are resolved from top to bottom when played. The top half shows what two reef pieces you’ll add to your reef board when you play it, while the bottom half shows how you can score this turn. You score by having your reef match the pattern on the card. For example, if the card shows 3 purple reef pieces in a row, you need 3 purple reef pieces in a row on your reef board. You can also score multiple times if you have different reef pieces matching the pattern. The result is a novel combination of a geographic puzzle and a card sequencing challenge. You need to set up cunning patterns ready for your next Reef cards while also carefully managing your hand to play them at just the right time. It is an easy game to learn but has a real depth of strategy, so it may take you some time to become master of the oceans.

Don’t neglect the bottom part of your cards. It’s easy to focus only on the top part that gives you pieces but remember that the scoring patterns on the bottom are just as important. The first thing players notice about Reef is the fantastic coral pieces. The chunky and colorful pieces are the centerpiece of the game. Not only do they present a great tactile experience with the game, but they’re also very functional. While each color is uniquely shaped, they all nest on top of each other very well. We love seeing our colorful coral reefs grow. Once you throw in the full player count of four, the market can change a lot between turns and having any form of multiple turn strategy becomes much harder. I would go so far as to say that the game weight actually changes, becoming lower with more players. This could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your group. Players have a hand limit of 4 cards. So if they already have 4 cards in their hand, they must play a card instead. Yet that’s not the only reason we enjoy playing Reef. The biggest reason is because it’s a colorful and fun game to play.

Best Sellers

A big part of playing Reef well is this long-term planning. Reef is all about strategy and planning multiple turns ahead. In this way, Reef reminds me of Chess. This is due to the fact you are going to want to plan out a way to be able to play a number of cards in a row so that they combine together to make multiple complete scoring patterns in a row. There’s also another chess-like aspect and that is watching your opponent, remembering what cards they have and predicting what they will do with them. If a pattern shows printed numbers with a "+" next to them, all of your top pieces of the right color and with a height equal to or higher than the printed number count. Once everyone has placed their initial four coral, the player with the starfish on their personal board is the one that starts the game properly. All three games are beautifully designed, simple to learn, and offer a good amount of strategic depth. Reef stands out with its unique 3D gameplay, allowing players to build upwards, creating visually striking coral structures. If you enjoy abstract strategy games but prefer a calmer, more visually engaging experience with a slightly lower competitive edge, then Reef could be your game of choice. Hits and Misses

In all, Reef does an excellent job in being accessible to a wide audience. It’s a game that embraces and encourages inclusivity, offering a rewarding gaming experience to all who dare to dive into its depths. Strategies, Tactics and Tips Soon multi-turn plans form in your head, can you put together just enough cards before you opponents do to play a few pieces into you reef to build it up to a point where you can play one single card for mega points at the end? Maybe, or, maybe not. There’s a certain frustration baked into this game – players simply need to deny themselves something every turn, whether that’s the card with resources they need, or the chance to play our resources this turn. The game only ends when one of the colours has run out, so those who are ahead can attempt to race through pieces and trigger the end of the game. The cards in Reef are well designed so that they are easy to read and clear, even from across the table. An added bonus in Reef is the plastic box insert that not only holds everything when on the shelf but also works to keep everything sorted during play. Players have a central choice each turn – take a card from the card display and add it to their hand, or play a card from their hand. The latter of these allows players to take the coloured reef pieces from the supply displayed on the card and add them to their personal board, and then also score the pattern printed on the bottom of the card.But the game itself? It’s classic Emerson Matsuuchi simplicity in an abstract strategy game. Reef is a pattern making, score card claiming game in 3D, using sweetie-like coral blobs in various colours to represent the growing life in the reef itself. More and more I’m becoming a fan of the abstract strategy game genre and Reef is a great addition to that lineup. It does well to scratch that itch of a game that we can jump right into and start playing, and also can be as thinky as we want to make it.