Tsuro is a classic game that has gotten played on tabletops, computer screens, phones and even in a VR setting. The original is a simple, elegant game that lends itself to easy play right out of the box for all levels and interests in gaming. Today we are going to look at the next iteration of the game and see how Tsuro: Phoenix Rising stacks up!
Tsuro: Phoenix Rising is from Calliope Games and plays 2-8 players for 20-50 mins. It is deigned by Tom McMurchie, Ray Wehrs, Chris Leder, Zach Weisman and Ken Franklin.
Overview
In Tsuro: Phoenix Rising players take on the role of a phoenix and guide it along the paths of the night sky trying to ear star tokens from the lanterns strewn across the skies. The winner is the first to seven stars or the last phoenix still standing in the game!
Gameplay
Players begin by picking a phoenix pawn and starting on the outside of the board in front of any of the open squares. The board is set up with a 6×6 grid of squares and the 4×4 middle of that is randomly filled with center tiles. There are two of each lantern markers that are placed on glowing space icons of that color in the middle tiles. Each player is given two path tiles and play begins with the youngest player.
On the active player’s turn in each round, the player has one turn to choose to do the following three steps:
1-Create your path
2-Travel your path
3-Prepare for next turn
When you create your path you will either add a new tile if there is not one directly in front of it and follow your phoenix token long until it reaches the end of a path. Or you can follow along from your end spot and travel along a new path by flipping or rotating an existing tile creating a new branch. All paths must be followed until their end either against another piece, an empty space or the edge off the board.
The phoenix will move along the path and may find itself on a diagonal path as well. These are continued diagonally when you travel along the path. As mentioned earlier your pawn may leave the board off an edge. If you collide with another pawn on a path or create an endless loop this will also cause them to be removed. When a pawn is removed you will be able to bring it back by using a life token on your next turn. Life tokens allow you to rise from the ashes and place your at an outside empty square to bring it back into the game. If you don’t have a token or there are no available spaces you are out of the game.
Players create stars as they pass by tiles with lanterns on them and are then able to pick them up when they pass by it and move to another tile. These are collected and the first player with seven of them will trigger the end of the game and win the game. Another way to win the game is to be the last pawn remaining on the board with all other players unable to rise from the ashes.
There is also an advanced game called “Winds of Change” that allow you to do more with the lanterns and star collections to take on a bigger challenge. Both are fun ways to explore the specifics of this game!
Impressions
Tsuro is a game that has gotten a lot of play over the years in my house. Both the standard edition and the Tsuro of the Seas game are classic games that have been enjoyed by many different people at my table. So I was very excited to try out a new version of the game that took things I already know and love and added to them.
Let’s talk about the similarities first. Tsuro as a base game is still in here-you place tiles and move along the paths, trying to avoid falling off the end of a board or colliding with others. So if you know and love that part of the game you won’t be disappointed. The game plays well as Tsuro at its core.
The new things it adds really set it apart from the base as a fun advancement in the game. The diagonal movements are a lot of fun and really change of the angles of motion. Having ends on the tiles as opposed to only the board itself make it pretty different as well. Flipping and rotation of tiles on the board means that it is constantly in a state of flux and trying to plan ahead can be tough. These are definitely good problems and make the game more puzzle-y then it has been in the past.
The addition of the lanterns and the stars is a lot of fun as well. Adding another win condition by pushing hard to the lanterns and stars allows players to lean in to the movements and try to score a win before they are pushed off the table or cornered into another player. I like the addition of the life token to not only say you from a bad situation but to possibly use it more strategically to just remove your phoenix and bring it back in a whole new area when you want to do it.
Overall
Tsuro: Phoenix Rising is a great game in the next progression of this franchise. It is aesthetically pleasing, from the board and tiles to the new additions of the phoenix tokens and lanterns you really love to see this one sitting out on the table. The base game is smooth and the new additions really make it sing. The lanterns and stars add a second element to the game to win that is a fun race to watch as players decide to go all-in on stars or play more passively, weaving around the board trying to stay on the table!
I would recommend this one to players who love the original and want to see an upgrade with some great moving parts and a little more strategy. It is also a good game in its own right, bringing a fresh and new perspective to the world of Tsuro. Make sure to check this one out!
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