Latice (2015)

Latice is a strategy game where you match tiles by color and shape. The game comes with a game board, stones, and acrylic tiles. Most of the tiles contain one of six images (e.g., turtle, leaf, lizard, dolphin) in one of six colors. There are also a few special wind tiles. The game is for 2-4 players, who will evenly split the tiles. You win by being the first player to play all of your tiles.

The first player selects one tile from their rack and places it in the center square on the board. The next player, and then each in turn, can add one tile to the board, but that tile must be set adjacent to one or more existing tiles, and it must match each adjacent tile based on either color or shape. If you match more than one tile, or you place your tile on one of the sun squares on the board, you get stones that can be traded in for extra moves, allowing you to get rid of your tiles faster. You can also use the special wind tiles to move a tile already on the board over by one square.

As you play Latice, you’ll learn to plan your turns and extra moves ahead of time. You’ll strategically use wind tiles to alter the layout of the board, and play both offensively and defensively based on your knowledge of the remaining tiles. Latice has no language, culture, age or gender barriers and can be played by just about anyone. It offers strategic gameplay for adults while still being simple enough for younger players.