Kindred

Kindred

2026David Abelson

2 - 4 players
30 - 45 min

From BoardGameGeek

Set on the shifting shores of Kaelora, Kindred is a spatial tile-placement game for 2–4 players in which explorers document newly revealed species whose behaviors feel strangely familiar. As the island expands with the tide, players seek meaningful patterns in the wildlife-moments of recognition where observer and observed seem unexpectedly connected. On your turn, you must place one of your uniquely shaped, double-sided Species tiles onto the shared modular board, fitting it cleanly within the grid. Over the course of the game, you may claim up to four rows using Explorer markers, each tied to a specific species. Once claimed, you score for every matching species in that row-no matter who placed it-while a glowing wild species adapts to count wherever it appears. As space tightens, every placement matters, shaping both your strategy and your opponents' opportunities. When no more legal placements remain, players score their four claimed rows-earning bonus points for their strongest collection and losing points for empty spaces. The explorer who forges the most meaningful connections wins.

There are no videos for this game yet.

Creators who cover this

Rolling with the Beard
Rolling with the Beard
1 video of this game

Games like this

2022David Abelson, Alex Johns

Videos
36
Creators
34
Mainly reviews

2 - 4 players30 - 60 min2.3 weight

2026David Abelson

Videos
5
Creators
5
Mainly how-to-play

2 - 4 players30 - 45 min2.0 weight

2017David Abelson

Videos
1
Creators
1
Playthroughs

2 players15 min1.8 weight

2019Jamey Stegmaier

Videos
279
Creators
179
Mainly reviews

1 - 5 players90 - 120 min3.0 weight

About Kindred

From BoardGameGeek:

Set on the shifting shores of Kaelora, Kindred is a spatial tile-placement game for 2–4 players in which explorers document newly revealed species whose behaviors feel strangely familiar. As the island expands with the tide, players seek meaningful patterns in the wildlife-moments of recognition where observer and observed seem unexpectedly connected. On your turn, you must place one of your uniquely shaped, double-sided Species tiles onto the shared modular board, fitting it cleanly within the grid. Over the course of the game, you may claim up to four rows using Explorer markers, each tied to a specific species. Once claimed, you score for every matching species in that row-no matter who placed it-while a glowing wild species adapts to count wherever it appears. As space tightens, every placement matters, shaping both your strategy and your opponents' opportunities. When no more legal placements remain, players score their four claimed rows-earning bonus points for their strongest collection and losing points for empty spaces. The explorer who forges the most meaningful connections wins.

Designer

David Abelson

Artist

Dann May

Categories

Abstract StrategyAdventureExplorationPuzzle

Mechanics

Area Majority / InfluenceTile Placement
View on BoardGameGeek ›