Tzolkin: The Mayan Calendar presents a new game mechanism: dynamic worker placement. Players representing different Mayan tribes place their workers on giant connected gears, and as the gears rotate they take the workers to different action spots.
During a turn, players can either (a) place one or more workers on the lowest visible spot of the gears or (b) pick up one or more workers. When placing workers, they must pay corn, which is used as a currency in the game. When they pick up a worker, they perform certain actions depending on the position of the worker. Actions located "later" on the gears are more valuable, so it's wise to let the time work for you – but players cannot skip their turn; if they have all their workers on the gears, they have to pick some up.
The game ends after one full revolution of the central Tzolkin gear. There are many paths to victory. Pleasing the gods by placing crystal skulls in deep caves or building many temples are just two of those many paths...
- Visually striking
- Innovative gear-driven timing mechanic
- Pronunciation challenge noted by speaker
- calendar-driven worker placement
- Maya civilization
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Ooh, it's a box in a box in a box.
- Ah, it's Oriflamme. This is the Devir version of it.
- This is the new version of Arkham Horror: The Card Game, like a second edition of sorts.
- I like Star Wars Unlimited.
- Oh, be still my heart.
References (from this video)
- big plastic gears
- complex gameplay
- popular at the time
- reviewer never picked up a copy
- many people owned it so reviewer didn't
- hasn't seen it around recently
- Mayan
- calendar
- gears
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection
- gear rotation
- worker placement
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- these games have amazing table presence by which i mean people are going to glance across the room and go what is that person playing and i want to play all these games
- stacking games have table presence like nothing else
- looks beautiful it looks like a load of sweets on the board
- one of my favorite games of all time
- i don't like that sort of game i find that one of the most frustrating game mechanisms
- the central marble dispenser is your main draw in this game
- absolutely brilliant strategic game quite complex game
- it's actually my favorite of the mask trilogy
- i'm almost scared to say this but i don't really like azul very much
- biggest most overlooked game on this list
References (from this video)
- tight engine with interesting timing
- beautiful component design
- steep learning curve for new players
- routines/planning with a rotating gear wheel
- ancient Mesoamerican civilization
- strategic planning with temporal pressure
- Gaia Project
- A Feast for Odin
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- rota gear/tile placement — workers placed on a shifting rondel to gain resources and advance actions
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- probably the greatest party game of all time
- it's a betting racing game
- this is basically one huge massive rondell of a game
- I hate painted miniatures