Tellstones: King’s Gambit (2020) Board Game

Tellstones: King’s Gambit is a board game developed by Riot Games, known for their popular video game League of Legends. The game was released in 2020 and is designed for 2-4 players. It falls under the categories of Abstract Strategy, Bluffing, Deduction, Fantasy, and Memory.

Game Components of Tellstones: King’s Gambit

Tokens: Thick, deeply carved tokens with various symbols.

Playmat: A felt line that serves as the central playing area.

Rulebook: Includes rules and lore about the game.

Reference Cards: For quick rule checks.

Letter: A thematic letter from a League of Legends character.

Metal Box: A sleek, clamshell-designed box with a foam inlay[5,.

How To Setup Tellstones: King’s Gambit

To set up *Tellstones: King’s Gambit*, players place the felt playmat between them, creating a central line. The tokens are arranged face up along this line. For a two-player game, each player takes turns instructing each other to place, flip, or swap tokens. In a four-player game, players are divided into two teams, sitting on opposite sides of the line, and take turns in a counter-clockwise order.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Memory Mechanic: Players must remember the symbols on the tokens.

Token Manipulation: Players can place, flip (to hide the symbol), or swap tokens.

Challenging: Players can challenge their opponent to guess the symbol on a facedown token to score points.

Boasting: A player can claim to know all the symbols on facedown tokens to win the game outright.

Objective: The first player to guess three tokens correctly or successfully boast wins the game.

Player Experience

Playing *Tellstones: King’s Gambit* is a unique experience that focuses heavily on memory and bluffing. The game requires players to keep track of the tokens’ symbols and positions, which can be mentally taxing. While the initial games may revolve around developing memory techniques, the game opens up to more strategic play as players learn to manipulate tokens and use the boast mechanic effectively. However, the gameplay has been criticized for being short and unengaging, feeling more like a chore than a rewarding experience[5%.

Pros

Incredible Production Value: The game’s tokens and box have exceptional build quality.

Bluffing Mechanics: The game allows for fun bluffing opportunities, especially with the boast mechanic.

Portable: Despite its large box, the game itself is relatively portable[5%.

Cons

Memory-Intensive: The game requires strong memory skills, which can be a turn-off for some players.

Short and Uninteresting Gameplay: Critics have found the gameplay too simplistic and not engaging enough.

High Mental Energy: The need to constantly track tokens can be mentally exhausting[5%.

Personal Thoughts on Tellstones: King’s Gambit

*Tellstones: King’s Gambit* is a game that will appeal to those who enjoy memory-based games and bluffing mechanics. However, it may not be the best fit for players seeking complex gameplay or those who find memory-intensive games challenging. The game’s high production quality and thematic integration with the *League of Legends* universe are notable, but the overall experience falls short of the engaging and epic feel that *Mechs vs Minions* provided. It is more suited for casual, quick games rather than deep, immersive sessions[5%.

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