Chai (2019) Board Game – Board Game Guys

Chai is a card game released in 2019 that combines elements of economic strategy and set collection. Designed by Mary Haasdyk and Sahana VJ, the game is published by Steeped Games Ltd. Chai has gained popularity for its unique theme centered around tea blending and its engaging gameplay mechanics.

Game Components of Chai

Market Board

72 Tea Flavour Tiles (12 of each flavour)

Tea Flavour Bag

Pantry Board

50 Pantry Tokens (10 of each ingredient)

Pantry Token Bag

Money Pouch Board

30 Coins

6 Tip Tokens

5 Tea Cups

Thermometer Round Tracker with Clip

8 Ability Cards

5 Tea House Player Boards

30 Base Tea Tokens (6 in each player colour/tea flavour)

5 Player Aids

40 Customer Cards (8 of each colour)

Rulebook.

How To Setup Chai

To set up Chai, each player selects a tea house of their chosen color and receives the matching base tea tokens, customer cards, and a player aid. Players shuffle their customer deck and place one card face up next to their tea house, with another customer card placed face up in the middle of the table to create the customer pool. The remaining customer cards are shuffled together to form the customer deck. Tea flavour tiles are placed into the market board, and pantry items are set up on the pantry board. Ability cards are shuffled and placed face up in the play area. Tea cups and tip tokens are arranged, and the thermometer round tracker is set to the first round. The starting player receives one coin, while other players get two coins.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Visit the Market: Players receive three coins and can buy tea flavour tiles, also taking any connected tiles of the same type.

Visit the Pantry: Players can discard all ingredients on the board, refill, and take up to three pantry items.

Reserve a Customer: Players can reserve a customer card from the pool or draw deck.

Fulfill Orders: Players use tea flavour tiles and pantry items to complete customer orders, earning points and tips.

Game Objective: The goal is to accumulate the most points by fulfilling customer orders, managing resources, and utilizing special abilities. The game lasts five rounds, tracked by a thermometer, and ends when all tea cups are filled.

Player Experience

Chai offers a calming and engaging experience, particularly praised for its theme and gameplay mechanics. Players enjoy the light puzzling and resource management aspects, which add a layer of strategy without making the game overly complex. The game is quick to learn and can be enjoyed by gamers of all levels. The solo mode is also well-received, providing a peaceful and challenging experience.

Pros

Easy to Learn: Simple and intuitive gameplay.

Calming Experience: Light, fluffy graphics and peaceful ambiance.

Strategic Depth: Unique market board puzzle and resource management.

Versatile: Supports 1-5 players, including solo and cooperative modes.

Beautiful Artwork: Whimsical and surreal customer card art.

Cons

Limited Player Interaction: Most gameplay is focused on individual resource management.

Tutorial Limitations: Some aspects of the game may require additional rule-checking beyond the tutorial.

Component Management: Players need to keep track of multiple components and limits (e.g., flavour tiles, pantry items).

Personal Thoughts on Chai

Chai is an excellent choice for those who enjoy set collection and resource management games with a relaxing theme. It is particularly suitable for fans of games like Splendor, due to its similar feel but with unique twists. The game’s ability to cater to a wide range of player counts, including a solid solo mode, makes it a versatile addition to any game collection. If you’re looking for a game that balances strategy with a calming atmosphere, Chai is definitely worth considering.

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