Pyramid Review
Gheos
Published by Z-Man Games
Designed by René Wiersma
Graphics by Joshua Cappel
60 triangular tiles, 12 scoring tokens, 6 wooden civilization markers, 30 wooden followers, rules (in English, German, & Dutch); full color, boxed, two to four players; $24.99
We're all used to being like gods when we play certain games, but in Gheos from Z-Man Games players actually take on the role of deities.
The object of the game is to have the most points from followers when civilization peaks.
The gods (that's you, the players -- two to four of you) create a new land by fitting together triangular sections on the table. Your hand always consists of two such pieces. Some have little strips of land, others have larger, continent-sized masses, and all separate the lands with thick rivers and small lakes. The segments may have other features like wheat symbols, temples, and pyramids.
When you place a piece, you can either start one of the six civilizations or take a follower from an already placed culture (there are five colored cubes each in the same colors as the civilizations). If you're lucky enough to have wheat on your chosen landmass, when you start a new tribe there you automatically get a free follower for each such symbol. A new color cannot begin on the same island as someone else.
Everyone has three scoring chips, and you can play one on your turn to get points (any chips not played before the game ends are lost, so you can't hold . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: March 16, 2007
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