K2

Family

Alter 10

Spezial

CLIMBING IN THE KARAKORUM

Who makes it to the peak in winter?

K2 is Earth’s the second highest mountain with 8611 meters and is considered to be its most difficult mountain. Therefore he has been given sobriquets like “savage mountain” or “Mountain of Mountains”. He is not part of the Himalayas, but part of Karakorum, the name K2 means second peak in Karakorum. Since 1892 climbers have tried to to climb K2, but they only managed to reach the peak in 1954.

Monika Dillingerova: This game keeps exactly what the titel promises; a fight for each meter that you climb, waiting for good weather and a bitter fight for breath.

The box contains well-made components allowing you to play 4 versions of the game. “You can choose the easier or more difficult side of the double-sided board and can choose the weather – winter or summer – for each side. Oh, I nearly forgot, when you play the family version, your climbers do not die due to lack of breath, the are simply put back down the mountain again, where it is much easier to take breath, and this for the loss of a few victory points, only … But this we surely do not want to play!” This was my introduction to my first game of K2, followed by a quick look at the rules and then a very fast start of the game.

The first very nice aspect of the game was the speed with which the rules were explained, and the second nice thing is that you can acquaint families with the game that quickly, too.

And now let’s take the time to take a closer look at the game: Each player begins with two climbers in the base camp. You try to climb to the peak with both of them. The mountain itself offers several different paths to the peak that cross each other several times. You can choose again and again which way you want to take. Of course there are spots that are easier to reach and some that take demand all you have to give. This is depicted on the board by circular spots. These spots are marked with their accessibility – the number in a yellow circle – and the demand for breath/oxygen – the number in a red or blue circle. In the rules of the game the oxygen demand is called “Acclimatization”, but since one of my fellow players told his climber “breathe, do breathe, please, there is more than enough oxygen” I have stopped to use the word acclimatization.

Climbing ropes connect the spots to form paths so that it is easily discernibly where you can go on climbing. The accessibility of a spot is given by a number, 1, 2 or 3 – the board only shows numbers 2 and 3. The value of 1 is taken as a basic move and was not marked specially, but this has proven itself to be a handicap for beginners, they often forget to count the 1 in a longer climb. Oxygen demand can be a number between 1 and 2. The 1 can happen in a negative = red or positive = blue sense, The 2 is always marked with a red circle.

Players receive a deck of cards with movement cards and breathing cards. The breathing cards allow them to draw breath. Each player has his own little board where he marks his status of acclimatization = the well-being of his lungs of his climbers. Both climbers start with a value of 1. At the foot of the mountain you draw breath easily and the lung of the climbers easily adapts to the climate. So the base camp and the lower spots are marked with a blue 1. A bit higher up the spots are neutral and even further up the read 1es begin to appear and near the peak you can even find red 2s. With each drawing of breath, each blue or red number the status of the lungs is adjusted on the board. All cards of a player are shuffled and form his draw pile. For the start of the game he draws three cards from the pile.

The weather too, has its influence on the well-being and the movements of the climbers. As we know it from reality, you can have beautiful weather on the peak and a little bit further down you can have a heavy snow storm. Or the bad weather can be on the peak only or on all of the mountain … For marking the weather influence the game features little weather boards showing the weather forecast for three days. There are always two of these boards visible and thus you know the weather for the next 3 to 5 days. The big board itself is showing four different areas: beneath 6000 meters, between 6000 and 7000 meters, between 7000 and 8000 meters and above 8000 meters. Weather and room for climbers on a spot are connected to the borders between those areas.

In each new round a player always draws 3 cards and has 6 cards to choose from when playing 3 cards. Players decide simultaneously which three of their six cards they want to play, which saves a lot of down-time. Then each player announces the total value of all movement points on all three cards. If there is a climber who wants to be very hast he takes penalty for this in the shape of a risk marker. Risk markers come in values of 0, 1 and 2 and this value must be deducted either from card values or from the lung values of a climber. As the risk markers are always visible when you chose your three cards to play, this risk is calculable. Now each player must assign each of the three cards to one of his climbers and this climber can use the card, but need not do so. The cards that were played form a discard pile. All climbers start with one piece of equipment, each of them has a tent. It is possible that both climbers of a player take shelter in the same tent. Taking shelter in a tent reduces the lack of oxygen in the current round by the value of 1. It is important to know that players play their cards in turn and so can block each other on the mountain. This you must take into account when choosing your cards because the higher you climb the fewer climbers can be in the same spot. Points are scored for heights reached. These are marked with the climber’s peg – two additional markers for each player which mark the maximum height reached by a climber. If a climber dies from lack of oxygen the marker drops to ground level, otherwise the marker stays in place even when the climber goes down the mountain.

A complete game lasts for 18 days (rounds) and you win with the highest total from your two climber’s pegs.

Monika Dillingerová:

In this game of K2 you must survive 18 days on the mountain and – if possible – reach the peak. In the course of the game some dirty tricks, for instance in the shape of blocking the path, are allowed and can sometimes win the game. But all actions must be well-balanced because the climbers should survive the 18th day if possible. If it is better to race to the peak quickly with one climber and then start the second one from the base camp is a question which remains unanswered as this is closely dependant on the strategies of the other players in each separate game.

Monika Dillingerova

Spieler : 1-5

Alter : ages 10 and up

Dauer : ca. 60 min

Autor : Adam Kałuza

Grafik : Jarek Nocoń

Titel : ident

Preis : ca. 33 Euro

Verlag : Rebel Centrum Gier 2010

www.wydawnictwo.rebel.pl

Genre : Placement and position game

Zielgruppe : For families

Mechanismen : place cards, calculate risk, block paths

Kommentar:

Also good with friends or experts, depending on the version

Topic very nicely implemented

You freeze, breathe and climb with your markers

Also challenging in the solo version

Vergleichbar:

Basically all race game taking into account several facts influencing the running of the race

Meine Bewertung: 6

Monika Dillingerova:

K2 offers a grandiose mixture of breathing and climbing with your men and minor skullduggery towards other climbers. An easy and a hard version offer additional challenges.

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