Abande (2005)

About this game

Players in turn enter new pieces on the board or move pieces already placed to capture opponent pieces (thus building stacks). Pieces on board must always be connected (i.e. adjacent to other pieces). When all pieces are placed and both players pass their turn in sequence, points are collected for pieces and stacks. The player with the higher score is declared winner. Abande can be played on a 37-space hexagonal board, a 7×7 orthogonal grid (with diagonals) and many other boards (even without a board at all). Expansion: Abande²

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Strictly 2 players — no more, no fewer.
• Rules load. At 2.9/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 8 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.