| | |  | Travel Games | Home » » » » Tikal | | | | | | | Product Promotions: | | | | | Description: | | Tikal is a game of exploration within the Central American jungles in search of lost temples and the treasures within. Players send their team of explorers into the jungle, exposing more and more of the terrain. Along the way you find temples which require further uncovering and treasures. Players attempt to score points for occupying temples and holding onto treasure. Tikal is the first game of the Mask Trilogy. | | | Features: | |
• For 2-7 players
• Great replay value
• 60 cards included
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 6.0 inches | | Product Width:
| 6.0 inches | | Product Height:
| 1.0 inches | | Product Weight:
| 3.73 pounds | | Package Length:
| 16.8 inches | | Package Width:
| 12.0 inches | | Package Height:
| 2.2 inches | | Package Weight:
| 3.8 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 6 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 6 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
37 of 37 found the following review helpful:
"Explore jungle ruins" or "Buy rental properties", you pick...Dec 02, 2005
By Mr. Mario T. Lanza
"mlanza"
People have come to think of Monopoly whenever board games are mentioned. What a disservice to Eurogames, the new variety of board games that have taken board gaming to the next level. Now there is a more direct relationship to the decisions you make and the results you achieve.
Tikal is one of the best Eurogames out there. It was one of the first games I acquired after discovering board games again as an adult. Now, 4 years into my new hobby and more than 150 games later, Tikal still remains one of the best games in my collection.
Tikal uses an economy of actions whereby each player on his turn can spend 10 points doing various activites on the board. There are plenty of choices but players have to make the tough decision of assessing what actions will provide them with the best payoff. Payoff comes by way of victory points -- scored in 4 quarters spread over the course of the game.
Players deploy their expedition members to the board and direct them to
* discover and excavate temple ruins,
* discover and dig up treasure,
* gain control of the most valuable temples esp. on scoring rounds,
* and steal temples from other players.
Additionally, players may create up to 2 camp sites during the course of the game. The idea behind this is to snatch up prime locations near goodies like temples and treasures. Remember, the game is about an economy of action. The players who are most efficient in spending their actions and most effective in choosing which actions will have the most profitable payoffs will get the most points. Cleverly placed camps will provide one player (hopefully) with more efficient access to contested temples. As temples can only be scored (on scoring rounds) by a player who has greater presence (more party members) at temple sites than any other player, efficient access will lend an edge to capturing these valuable temples.
Tikal is a truly marvelous game. It's a prime example of what games aspire to be. People think Monopoly because that's all they know. They have yet to try games that teach us to be efficient and effective, not merely lucky. Kids will be turned on by using their brains, and -- believe it or not -- so will adults. I play Tikal with my adult friends all the time -- they love it! After playing the basic version, adults should move on to the auction version for an even more exciting game.
Invest a little time in Tikal. You'll learn subtle nuances of play every time and develop better tactics. After exploring the temple ruins of an ancient civilization and vying for control of temples and treasure and you'll forget all about Boardwalk and Park Place.
23 of 24 found the following review helpful:
One of the best German Boardgames Out ThereDec 15, 2005
By J. Hinckley
I completely concur with the gentleman above's review - it's very accurate.
I have been playing this game off and on for four years now - and it, too, was one of the earlier games I "discovered" as an adult. The others in this "series" (similar styles), such as Mexica, are also fun, but having played all of them, this is still my favorite.
There are multiple approaches to winning, and you can cooperate, screw your opponents, get lucky digging for treasure or use pure military-style strategy in attempting to win. All can work and all can be overcome by other combinations - keeps the game quite interesting.
We've played this with people ranging from 12 to 72 years old, average to very high intelligence, and serious to "just in it for the fun and to be social" attitudes - everybody enjoys it.
The production values are very high - the pieces are well made and the game, given it is a board game and hence made of sturdy cardboard with wooden game pieces, is quite durable.
Rediscover games. It's a blast, and you can't go wrong by trying this one out first (though I also recommend the original Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, or the two-player card game "Odin's Ravens" as a "first" game).
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Great strategy gameNov 16, 2010
By E. Taylor
A friend brought this game to our house and played it with my husband and me. After just one game, we couldn't wait to get our hands on it! The game is a cross between strategy (how many workers do you place, and where) and a race (trying to earn the most points). I highly recommend it for people who are beginning to learn strategy and worker placement games.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Nice Intro to German BGNov 13, 2010
By Todd Carter
Tikal is almost worth it for the beautiful art and cover or if you are just into the Latin American Civilization theme like I am. I took a chance after reading a few reviews and was rewarded with a game that my wife and I keep coming back to, even though we have a bunch of great games. Another important point - it plays well with two. Tikal is a nice introduction to German/Euro board games with a fairly basic ruleset and under an hour games. Basic ruleset, but lots of choices of how to spend your 10 action points per turn. After a game or two of occasional analysis paralysis, you'll speed up and have a lot of fun.
Very fun, beautiful art, awesome gameNov 26, 2011
By Daniel Smeak
We are board game geeks and love board games. My sister owns over 100 and I try to get ones that are different than hers. However, this is the only game I bought that she already owned because I love it so much. The artwork is fantastic and there are many little pieces, which I love. The board game is random tiles so it changes every time you play. There are many things you would like to do on your turn, whether it is progress yourself or stop someone else from progressing. It's a delicate balance to achieve in a board game. The fact that you score throughout the game and not just at the end really makes it anyone's game. I highly recommend this game for anyone who is sick of Monopoly.
See all 6 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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