Summary
A game for 2 – 4 players
Playing time is 45 minutes
Publisher is Jeux Synapses Games
Introduction
Pharaoh Mino the Great has died and his son, Pharaoh Mido, is the new ruler of ancient Egypt. Pharaoh Mido wants a final resting place that displays his splendor. He enlists the help of 2 to 4 architects to build magnificent pyramids inlaid with precious stones. These pyramids should reflect the grandeur of his majesty and give him the most impressive resting place. The architect who builds the most impressive pyramid is appointed vizier and gets all the wealth and power you can imagine.
Let’s play
Pyramido is a tiling game in which players use their strategic and creative skills to build the most beautiful and point-rich pyramid.
The goal of Pyramido is to score the most points by cleverly placing tiles and building a pyramid that meets certain conditions and patterns.
Game Preparation: Game Board and Tiles: The tiles are divided into several stacks from which players can randomly draw. Each player receives a jewel in each color (total of 6) and 3 different overlap tiles
Course of play
Pyramido is played in turns, with each turn consisting of the following steps:
- Choose and place a domino tile: Players draw tiles from a central supply. These can be different types of tiles with various symbols and colors. Place this tile in front of you. Placing tiles requires strategic considerations; we will explain later which ones these may be.
The tiles must be placed adjacent to each other, the colors do not have to match but half connections are not allowed! In the first construction phase you must place 10 domino tiles in a 4×5 grid. If you can’t place a tile you must use 2 overlap tiles to place on the empty spaces, if you don’t have that and can’t fill empty spaces then you have lost immediately.
What should you pay attention to?
Even though you may place colors next to each other, you want to place colors and in doing so place the tiles with a jewel symbol attached to each other to score points in the intermediate phase - Mark a domino: Place 1 wooden jewel on the domino tile you just placed. If you can place a wooden gem, this step is mandatory. Take 1 wooden jewel from your personal supply and place it on a domino with a jewel symbol matching in color. If no jewel symbol is shown in that color, you may not place a wooden jewel. If you have no more wooden gem of this color, then skip this step.
- Overlap a domino: You may play 1 overlap tile. Place the overlap tile with one side of your choice face up on 1 of the 2 dominoes of the new domino tile that does not already have a wooden jewel on it. If you can, place a wooden jewel of the same color on the overlap tile.
- Fill in the quarry: Fill the empty space in the quarry with 1 of the 2 domino tiles adjacent to the empty space.
End of the Building Phase.
At the end of each construction phase (phases 1 through 4), you receive points for each jewel symbol in an area with a wooden jewel. An area is a group of connected dominoes of the same color.
You receive points for:
– 1 point for each jewel symbol in an area with a wooden jewel
– Jewel symbols in areas without a wooden jewel do not score points.
You receive Mino’s Bonus for
Each jewel symbol in the area with the fewest jewel symbols but with a wooden jewel scores 1 point. If there is a tie, choose 1 area.
Conclusion & final score
Difficulty: 1.65/ 5
Re-playability: 8
Our score: 7 out of 10 dice
End of the Game
After the scoring of building phase 4, the game ends. The player with the most points wins the game and receives the prestigious title visor. In case of a tie, the tied player with the most overlap tiles remaining wins. If there is still a tie after that, the tie player who earned the most points in 1 building phase wins. If there is still a tie, the tied players share the victory
Conclusion
Pyramido is a strategic and visually appealing tile laying game in which players use their creativity and planning skills to build the most beautiful pyramid. By cleverly placing tiles and shaping the colors with the gem symbols and jewels, players try to score the most points and emerge victorious. The game offers a mix of simplicity and depth that will appeal to both new and experienced players. The game is hugely colorful, has clear rules and all the colors really make this a game that will make you happy. The amount of tiles makes this a game with tremendous replayability.
Thanks to Publisher for this review copy and the opportunity to write about it.
