In Patchwork, two players compete to build the most aesthetic and higher scoring patchwork quilt on a personal 9x9 game board. On a turn, a player either purchases a patch or passes. To purchase a patch, you pay the cost in buttons shown on the patch, move the spool to that patch's location in the circle, then advance your time token on the time track a number of spaces equal to the time shown on the patch. You can place the patch anywhere on your board that doesn't overlap other patches, but will probably want to fit things together as tightly as possible to score more points. If your time token is behind the other player's, you take another turn; otherwise the opponent goes.
In addition to a button cost and time cost, when you move your time token past a button on the time track, you earn "button income“ – sum number of buttons depicted on your personal game board, then take this many buttons from the bank. When a player takes an action that moves his time token to the central square of the time track, he takes one final button income from the bank. Once both players are in the center, the game ends and scoring takes place. Each player scores one point per button in his possession, then loses two points for each empty square on his game board. The player with the most points wins.
Besides looking very quaint, Patchwork will give your brain a great workout, a la a sophisticated Tetris. Quite a few considerations of a typical minmax game by minimizing the cost of patches to make the maximum value of your individual quilt with an element of time thrown in. Should I pick something which leads to more money now but will delay my future actions or pick something less valuable now but I get to have more actions later – what should you do?! This gem of a game is designed by none other than the great Uwe Rosenberg who has created the highly revered Agricola and more recently New York Zoo. His games span both highly complex and strategic to lighter fare. So if you want to try your hand in developing a better critical thinker, try Patchwork!
