Tacta
With its strapline 'Connect, Cover, Conquer', Tacta is an abstract pattern-laying card game from The Op. It's designed by Jason Tremblay.
When I was first introduced to this game at UK Games Expo I was immediately fascinated. Each player has the same number of cards and they’re all double sided and feature a number of triangles or oblongs on each card as well as a number of dots that represent each card's potential scoring. In turn order each player places either their top or their bottom visible card from their deck. There are rules that limit where each card can be played but it has to cover a matching shape along one side of a previously placed card.
The initial card allows for placement of all cards but after that it’s possible to place a card on someone else’s card. You want to do this because you will cover up a portion of their card which will contain a number of dots (points) that person will no longer be able to earn at the end of the game. Cards are placed on one another so it is possible through careful and planned placement to prevent other cards being placed along the edges because they would violate the rules of placement. This protects your scoring, and as every person has the same deck of cards you know that someone will reveal a good card to cover or you are trying to wait for an opportunity to place your high scoring card where it is protected. The game ends when all cards have been played and you count up all the visible points available from each player’s cards on the table.
The game finishes really quickly, probably within 15-20 minutes, depending on player count, and it creates an intriguing and pleasing spiral of cards and colours across the table. It’s easy to draw in passers by who will ask 'what’s that?'. Tacta looks that good.
And as it turns out it’s an excellent game both for regular gamers and those coming new to the hobby as the rules are extremely easy to explain and the game is quick to play, both in time and for each individual action.
Tacta is one of the most innovative card placement games I have come across. If this is a game that appeals, I would urge you to get a game in somewhere really soon.
(Review by Alan How)
