Description
Mysterious objects and creatures await you in an enchanted maze, but the way to them keeps changing. In Labirint (originally Labyrinth, published by Ravensburger) you don't just search for corridors with your eyes: every turn you shift a whole row of the maze and build your own path to the treasure. The game was designed by Max J. Kobbert and released in 1986. That same year it was recommended by the Spiel des Jahres jury, and in 1988 it won the Årets Spel award in Sweden for best family game.
How to play Labirint
Each player gets a stack of treasure cards and looks only at the top one. Your goal is the space showing the same treasure. A turn has two steps. First you push the spare corridor tile into the maze at one of the 12 arrows, so that another tile drops out on the opposite side. Only then do you move your pawn along connected corridors as far as you like, or leave it where it is.
When you reach the treasure, you turn the card over and look at the next one. The first player to find all their treasures and return to their starting corner wins.
Why you'll like it
- The maze is different every time: you lay out the tiles randomly at setup, and during the game everyone keeps reshaping it together.
- Every push is a decision: do you open a path for yourself, or close a corridor on an opponent who is right next to their treasure?
- A pawn on a tile you push out of the maze reappears on the opposite side of the board. Sometimes far from its goal, sometimes right in front of it.
- When a treasure is out of reach, you move to a good starting point for your next turn, so even then you don't waste time.
Who is Labirint for
Labirint is for 2 to 4 players aged 7 and up, and a game takes about 20 minutes. The rules are simple, so the game suits families and mixed groups of children and adults. Players like it best with four. There is no text on the components. For younger children the rules suggest an easier variant: all treasure cards are face up, and on your turn you head for any one of them.
What you might not like
Players can shift your path just before you reach your goal, so Labirint may not be the best fit for those who don't like seeing someone spoil a carefully prepared plan.
What's in the box
- game board with 16 fixed tiles
- 34 corridor tiles
- 24 treasure cards
- 4 pawns
