Tides of Time (2015) Board Game

Tides of Time is a card drafting game designed by Kristian Čurla and published by Portal Games in in 2015. The game is set in an ancient civilization theme where players compete to build the most prosperous and powerful empire.

Game Components of Tides of Time

18 cards, each with a suit, condition, and score

4 cardboard tokens called Relics from the Past

A scorepad

A pencil

How To Setup Tides of Time

To set up Tides of Time, shuffle the 18 cards and deal five cards to each player. Each player also receives two Relic tokens. This simple setup ensures you can start playing quickly.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Card Drafting: Players draft cards from their hands, placing one card in their scoring area (Kingdom) and passing the remaining hand to their opponent.

Set Collection: Players aim to collect sets of cards that meet specific scoring conditions.

Rounds: The game consists of three rounds, each ending with a scoring phase.

Relic Tokens: After each round, players use Relic tokens to save one card from their hand for the rest of the game and remove another card from the game.

Objective: The player with the most points after three rounds wins.

Player Experience

Tides of Time offers a quick and strategic experience, with games lasting about 10-20 minutes. Players must be flexible with their strategies, reacting to the cards passed by their opponent and sometimes engaging in “hate drafting” to deny their opponent necessary cards. The game’s small footprint and high-quality card stock make it an ideal travel game.

Pros

Quick Playing and Easy to Learn: Games are short and the rules are simple.

Highly Portable: The game has a very small footprint.

Amazing Artwork: The cards feature outstanding artwork.

Low Luck: All 18 cards are used in each game, reducing the impact of luck.

Great Gateway Drafting Game: It introduces players to card drafting mechanics effectively.

Cons

Light Theme: The game’s theme is not deeply developed.

Limited Card Count: There are only 18 cards, which may lead to repetition.

Personal Thoughts on Tides of Time

Tides of Time is perfect for those looking for a quick, strategic two-player game that is easy to carry around. It’s an excellent introduction to card drafting and set collection mechanics, making it a great gateway game. While it may not replace more complex games for experienced players, it serves well as a quick filler or travel game. The low price point and high-quality components make it a solid addition to any game library.

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