BRIEF OVERVIEW

Iwari is an abstract-like euro game where players represent different tribes who endeavor to define their identity by traveling and expanding settlements into five different types of regions in a strategy game of majorities.

Iwari reimagines the award-winning game Web of Power by Michael Schacht by adding new layers of strategy, tribes player boards, different maps with their own set of rules, modules that can be added to the game and a unique cooperative and solo modes.

Game Designer: Michael Schacht | Illustrations: Mateusz Mizak

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As the word in Yoruba suggests, Iwari is a game of discovery and diversity, where humanity is protagonist in all its beauty. To join the cause for the preservation of cultural identity, we will make a donation to the Jimmy Nelson Foundation for every subscription we receive to support JNF's photography expeditions that promote positive visibility and appreciation for indigenous cultures. Let's show the world the great value that cultural heritage holds. For our press release, click here.

DISCOVER Iwari

Explore Iwari with us by returning each week and win a copy of the game!
Each entry will give you an additional chance to be one of the three winners of a deluxe copy of Iwari.

BOARDS AND cards

Iwari is all about exploring and expanding your settlements.
Players will always have a set of three cards each that they will be able to select during the setup and between turns.

You will be able to pick your cards from the display or randomly from the deck. The display information is available for everybody and cards are refilled only after a player is done with drafting up to the hand size of three.

Each player will have 20 tents and 8 totems; to place a piece on the board, players need to simply use cards of the same color of the territory they want to explore.

One yellow card will be used to place either a tent or a totem in a yellow territory on the board. Players can also use two cards of the same color as a joker to place a single piece in a territory of a different color.

In this game the placement rules are very simple. A player may use up to 3 cards to place up to 2 pieces into 1 single territory.

During our Kickstarter campaign, we will be unlocking different maps with new and interesting ways to play the game. Here is a small reveal of what is included in the base game and the first map we will unlock as a stretch goal. 

TRIBES AND TENTS

Players represent different tribes traveling around far lands and expanding their settlements.
Players are able to place a single tent for each card played in the territory based on the color of the card. It is very important to keep in mind that only a maximum of 2 pieces can be placed in a single territory per turn.

There is just one limitation. If you open up an unexplored territory by placing a tent in an area that doesn’t have any other tents in it, you automatically end your turn. Only a single tent can be placed while opening up unexplored territories.

Tents will score twice during the game, first scoring will happen immediately when the draw deck is depleted. The second and final scoring will be made at the end of the game.

The objective is to hold the majority of tents in every single territory. Even when tied with another player:

• The players with the most tents in a territory score 1 point for each tent in the territory, regardless of color.
• The players with the second most tents in a territory score 1 point for each tent of the player with the most tents.
• The players with the third most tents will score based on the tents of the second most and this trend continues for the fourth and fifth if necessary.

SCORING EXAMPLE

In this example, the red tribe has majority of tents and will get a total of 6 points (1 per tent in the territory), while blue, which is the second most, will get a total of 3 points (1 point per tent of the player with the most). Finally, green will get 2 points (1 point per tent of the player with the second most).

CREATING SETTLEMENTS

At the end of the game, players will also score points for settlements, which are groups of 4 or more sequential tents along the road, and will score 1 point per tent. Settlements may also cross territories.

breathing RULEs

We are working actively on improving the rules. We really appreciate your valuable input on it.
Next week we will be revealing the Solo Mode and we will update our digital version accordingly.

Play Iwari

You can try the multiplayer version (2-5 players) of Iwari in Tabletop Simulator (with automatic setup and display refill) and later this week for free in Tabletopia (playable from browers).

The Solo game will come next week! You can join our Discord Channel if you want to play with the team, we will gladly explain you the game in five minutes too.

Man Vs Meeple Preview

Solo Mode

The uncharted lands of Iwari are also quite ancient. With time, everything fades.

The Solo Mode for Iwari introduces the void, which represents the passing of time. The new cards, totems and ruins bring an interesting new mechanic where a tribe fights for survival by expanding and growing through the vast lands of Iwari to be forever remembered.

The numbers of connections will be used by the void to walk around and place totems and ruins. During setup, the totem score marker will be placed randomly in a connection and will act as the void.

Gameplay

As in the multiplayer game, both the void and the tribe will be playing for the majority of tents in each territory with the only exception being the connections. In the Solo mode, the majority of totems is counted per each single territory.

To start the game draw your hand like in the multiplayer game, refill the display after drawing then add the 12 void cards to the deck and shuffle.

On your turn, after performing an action, you must play a turn as the void before drawing new cards, this is done by using at least one of your remaining cards in hand after your own turn. If you don’t have any remaining cards to play as the void, the turn doesn’t take place.

The void will also activate when void cards are revealed, expanding the void. This might happen in two different ways:

1. When a void card is revealed in the display; if more than one void card is revealed, perform the expansion as multiple times as there were void cards revealed.

2. When a void card is drawn it must be played during the void’s turn by placing them on top of the display.

Void Expansion

Locate the void and place a single piece in each of the connected territories by giving priority to totems. If there is no space for a totem, place a tent in a tent space that is the closest to any other ruin.
Then, take the totem score marker and move it into the next connection. That will be the next location for the void to expand.

Territory Control

Once a territory is completely filled with tents, proceed to immediately score who controls the territory.
The player that holds the majority of tents will increase its total number of totems in the territory by one before scoring. Count who has the majority of totems in that single territory. The player that holds the majority will take control of the territory. In the case of any tie, the void wins.

Void Oblivion

If four void cards are shown in the display or in the top row of the display, the void will perform an oblivion action.

Perform an expansion and then, before moving the void, immediately close and score the two connected territories separately following the solo mode scoring rules.

Take the four void cards that activated the oblivion action, remove one and reshuffle the other three in the draw deck.

End of the journey

The tribe automatically lose if:

• The void takes control of three different territories
• The void creates a settlement of ten connected ruins

The game ends after:

• The void performed three oblivion actions
• Either the void or the player doesn’t have any possible tents to place.

At the end of the game, the player wins only if there are no more than two closed territories controlled by the void.

Be sure to visit our Kickstarter campaign on March 5th for more information about the Solo Mode and many more ways to play the game. See you soon!