Calico
Designed by: Kevin Russ
Calico is a game of stitching together a quilt, and scoring points for it. Not only do you need to satisfy yourself, however, you must also pacify some picky cats!
Each player begins the game with their own board – their quilt – and will spend the 22 turns filling their board with tiles (representing the patches of their quilt). You have a couple of tiles to begin with, and on each turn add one to your quilt before replenishing from a face-up selection on the table. In that respect, Calico is very simple.
However the way each player scores is what gives the game its challenge. Everyone will, at the start of the game, choose three Objective tiles to place on their quilt, and these want to be surrounded by specific tiles in order to score: for example, three sets of matching tiles. Critically, ‘matching’ in this instance can mean matching patterns or matching colours. It’s possible to do both (ie three sets of matching colours that also work as three sets of matching patterns) and if you manage to pull that off, you score extra points.
Another way to score is by pleasing the cats that want specific pattern arrangements on your quilt. There are three cats in each game, and their preferences might be to have a specific number of tiles in a certain pattern grouped together, or specific arrangement of a pattern: in a row, for example. Lastly, you also score for grouping colours of the same type together: three or more of the same colour triggers this bonus, and note that for all of the scoring criteria, the borders on your quilt (see pics above) also contribute to your fulfilling them.
After everyone has placed their final tile, scores are totted up and the player with the most points is the winner.
Sam says
This is a sweet little thing in terms of theme, but an absolute devil in terms of decision-making: everything tempts you in different directions, and as your quilt fills up you almost inevitably will find yourself forced to make unwanted compromises, sacrifices, and pleas to the feline Gods to save you. Unlike a game it reminds me of, Cascadia, this is not a gentle add-tiles-to-score points. It’s more brain-burning and puzzly, with a time-running-out escalation reminiscent of the simpler Take it Easy. Perversely, the experience flies in the face of Calico’s cuddly quilts and cosy cats theming, and when you’re forced to add a tile in the finale you don’t want, can feel more like a nail in the coffin than a patch on a quilt! I respect it for that, even if ultimately the lack of interaction and somewhat staccato, occasionally grinding pace don’t make Calico a game I suggest. Those elements make it more a head-to-head game in my mind as well: the more players you have, the slower it goes.
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Take That!
Nothing direct, although players can certainly take a tile from the table that would have helped you
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Fidget Factor!
Low to moderate with two players, rising with more
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Brain Burn!
The challenge is really about navigating the three different objections and - hopefully- finding ways to meet one that doesn't harpoon your chances with the others
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Again Again!
The picky cats vary from game to game and what tiles are available when can never be predicted
