"Who will rule the South Seas? Two Kahuna - ancient sorcerers of the Pacific - compete for dominance on an archipelago consisting of twelve small islands. Using their magic and wisdom, they struggle for control of the islands. They anxiously await the cards handed to them by fate. But when the time is right, they move to capture one, two, or even more islands, trying to gain the upper hand. At the mercy of the magical powers of the South Seas, they quickly realize that even the best magic is no good without strategy."
Originally published in 1997 as Arabana-Ikibiti by the designer's own publisher Bambus Spieleverlag, then reprinted by Funagain in the U.S., Kosmos' Kahuna – part of its Kosmos two-player series – is the best known implementation of this design.
It's a two-player game, played on a board depicting twelve islands. Players use cards to place bridges between these islands or remove opponent's bridges. If you get the majority of bridges around an island, you place one of your marker stones on it and also remove any of your opponent's bridges to that island – which might cause them to lose a bridge majority on an adjacent island and lose a marker stone there.
The game is played in three rounds. A round ends when all cards from the face down deck and the three face up cards have been taken. Then points are scored for the islands with a marker stone on them. The game can also end sooner when one player has absolutely NO bridges left on the board.
The Kosmos edition has excellent graphics and nice wooden pieces and plays very well.
Reimplements:
Arabana-Ikibiti
Reimplemented by:
Kanaloa
- classic gateway to slightly heavier strategy
- tactical but approachable
- older design may feel dated to some
- theme is niche
- area control with a tropical vibe
- Polynesian island control and influence
- lighthearted strategy
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Players vie for control of territories via influence markers.
- tug-of-war / area dominance — Shifts in influence as players place markers and attempt to outmaneuver rivals.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- every game deserves a second chance
- it's a good game, it's a middleweight game
- the components are cheap
- we're not fans of real time games though but you know what we're going to try it
- we always have fun and try to play with family
References (from this video)
- Classic two-player abstract with a strong feel
- Accessible yet strategic
- Potential balance improvements to scoring and round structure
- Two-player abstract dominance and strategic placement
- Islands with tropical archipelago dynamics
- Direct, cutthroat competition
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- two-player abstract strategy — Players attempt to dominate islands with color-coded blocks
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Evergreen is actually I suppose a spiritual successor to the famous photosynthesis board game.
- this one has more focus on the light points and the way you actually take your actions is different as well because it does use this drafting system
- this game was like gold dust for a long long time
- the production of these games is absolutely stellar
- these Magi 7 dice are absolutely gorgeous
References (from this video)
- Quick to play
- Surprising depth for simple mechanics
- Became part of regular two-player collection
- Plays well at two players
- Area control can feel aggressive
- Requires player acceptance of competitive play
- Area control between two spirits
- South Seas
- Abstract with thematic flavor
- Blue Lagoon
- My Small World
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Players place bridges on islands to control them
- Two-Player Only — Exclusively designed for two players
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- love it love it love it
- that's gonna be a real big part of our collection
- Lost Cities is a two-player game it's evil y'all
- happy frustration
- it's kind of funny funny
- i like it better this time
- games have to grow on me
- beautiful game loved it oh man omg
- i love the artwork diverse
- this may be one of our favorites
- we are disappointed
- we didn't build a fort
- what are we doing
- if you ain't have fun what you doing
References (from this video)
- simple concept with rich strategic depth
- compact package suitable for quick sessions
- two-player only design may limit group play
- bridge-building and majority control across islands
- a tropical Pacific archipelago
- simple concept with deep strategic implications
- Targi
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card-driven bridge placement — play cards to place bridges and influence island control
- majority scoring by island — end-of-round scoring based on majority bridges per island
- mitigation of random draws — card draw adds variability but remains manageable
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's absolutely stunning on the table
- I've always got this image of Samuel Jackson in my head for some reason
- something about this game opens up in your mind it's like a light bulb comes on
- one of the most simplest games you could possibly want to play for two players
- this game has been really really popular over the last couple of years
- it's basically a carbon copy reprint of a game called shot on titan
- it's absolutely fantastic for two players
- the greatest two-player ball game ever made
References (from this video)
- great two-player experience
- very fast and replayable
- not as deep as heavier strategy games
- territory control and negotiation
- islands and bridges-building on a 2-player board
- competitive, fast-paced
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Control — Players compete to control islands by building bridges to connect territories.
- Two-Player Only — Designed for quick head-to-head play with a short runtime.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This is the oldest game that I own bar none.
- We are having a lot of fun with it.
- It's just one of those things. I always take it to our board game events and I said it there.
- One of the players can actually be the thief now, and they can try to sneak in and steal paintings.
- This is from the Civil War version of the Commands and Colors system.
- One card in there was pretty overpowered and it really just determined in some aspect who got that card.