Quantik

Gigamic really has cornered the market on beautiful, tactile, quick-playing abstract strategy games. And Quantik is a great example. The wooden pieces just beg to be held and placed on the board. But where do you need to place them in order to win?

Well, the answer is simple. You can win Quantik by placing 4 unique shaped pieces in a row. You can also win by placing 4 different shapes in a square or a column on the very same 4 x 4 board. All the pieces are there – nothing is secret or hidden away. But the order in which the pieces are picked and placed is entirely down to you. And your choices mean everything.

Using a piece of your own colour, you are going to want to place it somewhere you think will force your opponent to place their own pieces right where you need them. The first few will be setting out the landscape, but then what’s left becomes critical. And believe me, it is so easy to snooker yourself when thinking simultaneously about grids and lines.

Of all the games in the Gigamic Abstract Strategy collection, this one plays the fastest for us. And in the beginning, it was definitely a case of bish, bash, bosh; my husband has won. And again. And again. But now, with the benefit of a few games under my belt, I am starting to give him pause for thought. Even concede his victory crown every once in a while if I flip reverse my usual reaction to his cone or cube! And that feels sweet indeed. It’s still over and out in 5 minutes, but that makes it perfect for when we are in the study waiting for computers to do their magic or other real-life interruption. Practically ready to play straight out of the box, we waste no time in getting a few games in.

I’m not sure whether it is just the pace at which we play, but we have found it easy to miss the end of the game. And by that, I mean somebody secured victory a few turns before – but we were each concentrating too hard on a different aspect of our spatial strategies!

To me, it feels a bit like a tactile, semi-cooperative but ultimately competitive Sudoku puzzle….except without the numbers…..or the writing……ok, so not like a Sudoku puzzle at all in fact, but you get what I mean….right? Again Quantik plays super-fast and is another feast for the eyes as well as the hands. Plus, with a mini version ideal for travelling, 5 minutes to spare will never be boring again!