The family is getting bigger
Lines is the seventh game in the Ubongo series , and the fourth one released in a large box with additional components, such as an hourglass and a bag for gems. The basis is, of course, cards with tasks to be performed, as well as bricks from which we will build various shapes. What is the gameplay like? Use the plastic oblong figures defined on the selected board to recreate the given shape. Comparing the game to its predecessors, the biggest difference should be pointed out: here everyone is doing the same thing. Until now, everyone has always received their own card and created a pattern on it. Whereas in Lines we have one board for everyone. Thus, in this edition, regardless of the number of players, we will always only use nine cards for one game. In addition, instead of two difficulty levels, we have as many as four and all of this is placed on as many as one hundred and sixty-two cards.
How do we score points? The person who completes the task first turns the hourglass and draws a crystal worth three points and another random one from the bag (there are gems worth one to four points). If others also manage to create the given system, they also get random crystals (the person in second place gets a bonus amber worth one VP). And this way we play nine rounds.
Simplicity and elegance
Ubongo is a great series, and I know what I’m talking about because I’ve had the pleasure of playing the basic version and also struggling with 3D editing . As if that was not enough, I also reviewed the Ubongo Extreme . Does Lines offer anything new? The answer to this question is not obvious. The core of the game seems identical, although it is also a different challenge and experience. For me, for example, Lines turned out to be quite simple, or at least the first two difficulty levels. On the other hand, just like in observation games, a lot depends on the skill of the person. Ubongo 3D was in my opinion an incredible challenge, I was completely unable to cope with the easiest tasks. Lines I find it simpler than the Extreme version as well .
But it gave me something that I have not experienced with other games in this series. Namely, here it was much easier for me to understand the relationship between individual blocks. Already looking at the card itself and the available elements, I imagined how I should start. Thanks to this, solving the most difficult tasks gave me a lot of satisfaction. In Extreme , I felt more often that I managed to create a layout not through skill, but luck.
The charms of a logic game …
I have given the subjective impressions, and now maybe we will focus on the tangible elements. First of all, the performance, as in other games in the series, is at a very high level. I can only stick to the markings on the blocks. In my opinion, the numbers could be more readable. I must also appreciate the replayability, because we have over one hundred and fifty double-sided cards, and in addition, we will only use nine in each game. It’s also a great idea to vary the level of players. If someone is doing better, then the game is at a higher level (this solution prevents newbies from getting discouraged so quickly).
Does the game have any major drawbacks? I mainly see two. First of all, because all players follow the same pattern, they can watch their rivals. Second, the basic scoring method of randomly drawing gems is highly unfair. I believe it is better to use the alternative version where the person in the first place gets four points and each subsequent one gets one less. I also regret a bit that the author did not add a fifth level of difficulty.
Is it worth having more than one Ubongo game ?
Lines is the seventh game in a great family, so the question is very well-founded. In my opinion, it is not worth investing in all the games in this series, because although each offers something different, they are too similar to each other. Nevertheless, it is definitely worth having a Ubongo board game in your collection , because they are great logic games.
And when answering an unasked, though obvious question, I clearly point to this version. Lines gave me a lot of satisfaction, and the cards have as many as one hundred and sixty-two tasks of the highest difficulty level, so I’m still going to have a lot of fun. All in all, if you don’t already have a Ubongo game in your collection , then grab the Lines version while it’s still available.
