PLAYED FOR YOU

String Savanna

Animals enclosed by a string

In String Savanna the mechanism of placing strings, first introduced in String Railways, is varied: You are an animal researcher and collect information on African animals; you use a string to enclose animals for research. The game comprises seven land tiles, 37 animal tiles and 30 research tiles. Animal tiles show image and name of the animal and carry information on its food, a generalized category and its activity during day, night or evening as well as the points you can score for the animal when you place a marker o it. Research tiles show the animal category that you are supposed to catch and the conditions for placing of the string and, again, points to score at the end of the game. The land tiles can give you a bonus if you have them within your research string.

One string is laid out for a "field", in it you randomly distribute the land tiles and 16 animal tiles. Outside the field you display five research tiles. You start the game with one research and one animal tile. In a round you place your animal tile into the field, enclose animals for victory points according to the parameters stated on your research tile, place one of your research markers on an enclosed animal tile and, finally, draw a new animal tile and a research tile. After a given number of rounds you win with the highest total after scoring points from your research tiles and from animal tiles on which you did place your markers.

A cute idea for a nice family game which offers quite some tactic; each animal placed enlarges the selection and you must consider the placement well, as you know the research tile that you will have to implement.

Players: 3-5

Age: 6+

Time: 30+

Designer: Hisashi Hayashi

Artist: Ryo Nyamo

Price: ca. 24 Euro

Publisher: Okazu Brand 2013

Web: www.japonbrand.com

Genre: String placement, collecting 

Users: For families

Version: multi

Rules: en jp

In-game text: nein

Comments:

Nice implementation of the string mechanisms

Rather simple rules

Very good family game that allows quite some amount of tactic

Compares to:

String Railway, otherwise collecting games with prerequisites

Other editions:

Currently none

Chance (pink): 1

Tactic (turquoise): 3

Strategy (blue): 0

Creativity (dark blue): 0

Knowledge (yellow): 0

Memory (orange): 0

Communication (red): 0

Interaction (brown): 1

Dexterity (green): 0

Action (dark green): 0