Kitara (2020) Board Game – Board Game Guys

Kitara is a board game released in 2020 by designer Eric B. Vogel and published by IELLO. The game takes place in the continent of Africa and revolves around the conflict between different organizations vying for control and influence over the region. With beautiful artwork by Miguel Coimbra, Kitara offers players a strategic gameplay experience with a mix of area majority, influence area movement, hand management, and open drafting mechanics.

Game Components of Kitara

Game board

Warrior pawns (master animal, hero, and regular warrior pawns)

Cards (for drafting and gameplay)

Food tokens

Victory point tokens

Rulebook

Box insert for component storage

How To Setup Kitara

To set up Kitara, each player starts with three warrior pawns placed in their home territory on the board. Each player begins with one card in their play area. The remaining cards are placed face up for drafting. The board is divided into various areas, some generating food and others generating victory points.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Area Majority: Players compete to control different areas of the board.

Card Drafting: Players draft one of six face-up cards on their turn to build their card collection.

Hand Management: Players must manage their cards effectively to move warriors and generate points.

Game Objective: The goal is to earn the most victory points by controlling key areas on the board, especially the ruins spaces with master animal pawns and using hero pawns in combat.

Player Experience

Kitara offers a surprisingly deep and strategic experience despite its simple rules and small physical size. Players need to balance card drafting with warrior placement and movement to control the board effectively. The game feels abstract despite its thematic elements, and each player count provides a unique experience. The consistent play time across different player counts makes it versatile for various gaming sessions.

Pros

Deep Strategy: Offers more strategy than its simple rules suggest.

Versatile Player Count: Consistent play time for 2-4 players.

Clever Card Drafting: The card drafting system is very clever and integral to gameplay.

Compact Design: Everything packs away beautifully, thanks to a well-designed box insert.

Cons

First Player Advantage: There is a slight advantage to being the first player, though it is minimal.

Thematic Inconsistency: The oversized animals can feel out of place in an otherwise realistic theme.

No Rules for Starting Warrior Adjustment: No rules to balance the starting number of warriors for non-first players.

Personal Thoughts on Kitara

Kitara is ideal for fans of area control and “dudes on a map” games, particularly those who enjoy games like Root, Blood Rage, and Targi. It’s a great choice for players looking for a game that offers significant strategic depth without complex rules. The game’s ability to pull players back for multiple plays to fine-tune their strategies makes it a valuable addition to any board game collection.

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