Description
Scraps of fabric can become a true work of art – if only the pieces would fit. In Patchwork you sew your own quilt on a board of 9 × 9 squares. Every patch has a price in buttons and takes up some of your time, and buttons are both your money and your points. The winner is whoever best balances a neatly filled quilt with a healthy stock of buttons.
How to play Patchwork
The patches lie in a circle around the time board. On your turn, you choose one of the three patches in front of the neutral token, pay its price in buttons and place it on your board. Then you move your time token forward as many spaces as shown on the patch. Or you simply step just ahead of your opponent's token and take one button for each space. It is always the player further behind on the time board whose turn it is, so you may take several turns in a row.
When you pass a button space, you collect as many buttons as there are on the patches of your quilt. The leather patches on the time board go to whoever passes them first – they are the only way to fill a single empty square. The game ends when both tokens reach the end of the time board. You count your buttons and subtract two points for each empty square. The first player to fill a 7 × 7 square gets another 7 points.
Why you'll love it
- Every choice weighs three things at once: the price in buttons, the time spent and the shape of the patch.
- Patches with buttons are an investment – the sooner you take them, the more often they pay you income.
- Time is shared: a long step hands your opponent several turns in a row, while a short one keeps you in play.
- Placing the patches is a real puzzle – you turn them until they fit without any holes.
Who is Patchwork for
Patchwork is played by two, it is suitable from age 8 and a game lasts 15 to 30 minutes. The rules are simple and quick to explain, so it suits couples, friends, and parents with children. Since all the patches are on the table the whole time, there is very little luck – careful thinking decides. There is no text on the components. In 2015 it was on the recommended list of the Spiel des Jahres award.
What you might not like
Patchwork is a game for two only, so a larger group cannot play it together. It is quiet and thoughtful, so it may not be the best fit for those who prefer loud party games with lots of laughter.
What's in the box
- 1 central time board (double-sided)
- 2 quilt boards
- 33 patches
- 5 leather patches
- 1 special tile (7 points)
- 2 time tokens and 1 neutral token
- 50 button tiles (32 × 1, 12 × 5, 5 × 10, 1 × 20)
- rules
