Create a strange world inhabited by puzzling creatures. At each creation restriction mistake, dangerous Tzimimes will appear.
Obtain the most Stars as you create a world made of 16 cards as you watch for the Tzimimes trying to devour your cards.
Each player has a game area in front of them. It is forbidden to play cards in any opponents area.
Each turn, draft 3 cards then play, alternatively, your cards, one by one in your world, orthogonally adjacent to a card that was previously played in your game area.
Several types of lands have playing restrictions. If they are not met, the card is played face down, Tzimimes side facing up and do not score any Star at the end of the game.
Other lands have binding play effects.
Some cards will add vertical and horizontal scoring.
In Strange World, you have to do your best with the worst. Indeed, with a tight draft of 3 cards, your opponents will certainly give you cards that are not so simple to play in your game area. But from the optimisation of these restrictions comes the gaming fun.
—description from the designer
- fast play (roughly 10-15 minutes per session) with high interaction via drafting
- tight, clever puzzle that rewards layout optimization
- great presentation and variability between plays
- high replayability with different card interactions
- efficient use of downtime due to simultaneous drafting
- post-draft placement sequencing can cause confusion if players linger
- some cards and interactions may feel punishing or opaque at first
- the Zimmy mechanic can feel underwhelming if not triggered by a meaningful setup
- territory drafting with environment-based scoring and destruction
- Abstract grid-world with lakes, swamps, volcanoes, and dark cities
- abstract puzzle with world-building flavor
- Castle Combo
- Sushi Go
- Seven Wonders
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card drafting — players draft cards from a shared pool (Sushi Go/Seven Wonders style) and then place them on a 4x4 grid.
- grid placement — place three drafted cards onto a 4x4 grid with restrictive placement rules (no lakes adjacent, at most one swamp per row, volcanoes must be adjacent to destroyable cards, etc.).
- restricted scoring / evolving board — scores are driven by creating dark cities via card destruction (volcano interactions) and by other bonuses tied to card interactions and turn order.
- simultaneous drafting — all players draft cards in a round simultaneously, reducing downtime.
- Zimmy face-down card mechanic — the last card drafted may be unplaceable and is placed face-down as a Zimmy with limited scoring potential.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This game is so freaking good.
- This is like a 10-15 minute game.
- The speed is amazing, the presentation is wonderful, and the variability, the you know, the the experience you get from game to game.
- There is a lot of replayability built into my number one game of the month, Strange Planet Above the Clouds.
- It has now pushed its way into my top 10 game for 2020 full. Uh it is absolutely phenomenal.