pattern building

Flash 8 is a fast-paced sliding-tile game where 1-4 players race to move their colourful electron tokens around their city board (their 'tablet') to re-create combinations and score points, all in real time.

The competitive version (2-4 players) has players racing against one another to be the first to claim the cards in the center of the table by sliding their multicoloured electron tokens into the empty space in their city grid tablet in an attempt to re-create the colour combinations on the cards. Every time a combination is completed, the successful player yells "Flash!" and they collect that card while the game keeps going. The game ends when all cards are claimed, and the player with the most cards wins!

The solo version of Flash 8 asks you to re-create, using the same sliding-tile mechanism, any combination shown on the grid of electrons laid out in front of you. Be careful, though, because every success comes with a price: every time you complete a combination, the grid changes, and if you don't manage your cards correctly, you could end up stuck!

—description from the publisher

The city is growing every day, with new buildings popping up on every vacant lot. You’ve been hired as a contractor to help develop a skyscraper that will reshape the city’s skyline. If you work hard and plan smart, you can earn the title of Master Builder and be immortalized as part of the city’s rich history.

LOTS is a 3 dimensional puzzle game for 1 to 4 players where contractors are competitively working to build the same tower on a vacant Lot. Players will have to use spatial recognition, color coordination, and just a hint of dexterity to score the most points before the games end.

—description from the designer

To rebuild the Eternal City, the Roman Emperor summoned the most talented builders of antiquity. Each of them is trying to draft the best city — but talent is not enough. Only those who know how to please the Emperor, cleverly exert their influence, and invest at the right time will succeed in City of Rome.

In more detail, the game lasts fourteen rounds, and in each round, players draft one of the building cards in play and add it to their hand. The drafting order depends on how closely you stand to the emperor. At the start of a round, you reveal a new "action strip" that has three bricks and two cogs in some order, then players take turns placing their figure on one of these five spaces; the closer you are to the emperor, the earlier you draft, but the fewer resources (bricks and cogs) you receive. (With only two players in the game, each player places two figures on the action strip and takes two complete turns each round.)

After drafting, you can take one build action and one produce action. To build, you must pay the cost in bricks — paying two coins for each missing brick — then place the card you're building adjacent to another card of yours already in play. You start with two building cards in play, so you'll have at most sixteen cards at game's end. These cards must fit in a 4x4 square, so plan carefully since you'll want to place some buildings next to other ones to earn the most points and to get the most out of a produce action. Some buildings give you a special action or influence tokens when you build them.

To produce, you must have two cogs — paying one coin for each missing cog — then use the production action of each building in your city once.

Every few rounds, an influence card is revealed, and whoever has the most influence tokens at the end of that round collects the card, then discards their tokens.

At the end of fourteen rounds, players score points for their residential buildings, temples, aqueducts, coins, and influence cards and tokens. whoever has the most points wins!

In Sunny Day, players place tiles to complete as many pictures as possible. When the tile deck runs out, the game ends, then players collect the tiles used in completed pictures and the tiles in front of them, scoring points for each tile and for each completed picture. Points can be earned more efficiently by completing ice cream and sun pictures. Whoever has the most points at the end of the game wins.

"Arraial" is the name given to traditional Portuguese summer celebrations during which people take to the streets eating, drinking, and having fun in the old neighborhoods that are bedecked with arches, colorful balloons, popular music, and the aroma of sweet basil.

In the game Arraial, players try to make their neighborhood traditional event the most popular by attracting visitors to their celebration. Grab the most beautiful decorations, hire the most inspired performers, serve the most traditional delicacies, take to the streets, and host the party of the year! Arraial is a fast-paced game in which players take turns spending action points to get the best tiles (decorations, artists...) and place them on their player boards to form the perfect match and attract visitors to their party. In the end, whoever attracts the most visitors in their neighborhood wins.