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Sep 10, 2025·How to play·06:27·131·Watch on YouTube

150-year-old Congo board game... the first of its kind?

NewVenture Games

NewVenture Games

Watch “150-year-old Congo board game... the first of its kind?,” a how-to-play guide for Congo from NewVenture Games on BoardGameVideo.

Description provided by NewVenture Games on YouTube:

Area control games are quite common today, but this might be the first ever! Buy a copy here: https://newventuregames.com/products/congo Learn more about the game at BGG: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/99361/congo Click here for more "How To Play" game videos: https://youtube.com/playlist? list=PLcuNwI2XUBfCzIi7hLxvAI2cvkX1ayxlM&si=WdGUFVuYBZ-8M3vA Click here for more Game History videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcuNwI2XUBfBp6oQ1_pMfqqA4EKNWkb4S&si=zcXatv5D9Uz03qRP ...and be sure to visit us elsewhere: https://newventuregames.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/NewVentureGames ____________ #boardgames #familygames #gamehistory #vintagegames #tabletop #newventure #howtoplay #antiquetoys

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Congo

Congo

1874

2 - 4 players
10 min

About Congo, from BoardGameGeek:

Congo is a game created by the Frenchman Charles Watilliaux between 1874 and 1907. This game would have fallen into oblivion were it not for another Frenchman named Michel Boutin after a public inquiry into this game in his book: "Jeux de pions pour aujourd 'hui" in 2001 and reintroduced by Oriol Comas in his book "The World Games " Congo is a very simple abstract strategy game with a board and a easy game mechanics. This game tries to emulate a site on the banks of the river Congo. 4 people play and have 12 pieces each and take turns placing them anywhere on a 5x5x5 hexagonal board. The only requirement for placement is that it is not adjacent to a piece of another color, although you can play adjacent to your own color. After placing a piece, it can not be moved in any way. When a player is blocked and can not place any more pieces, they are out. The game continues until no more pieces can be played by ANY player. When a game is complete, points are then awarded. Each player gets one point for each piece not played by a player who went out before them. Thus, 3rd place gets the points for all pieces left by 4th place, while 2nd place gets points for both 3rd and 4th place's pieces. The winner gains points from all 3 who fell by the wayside. (Adjustment: If you allow ties in how many pieces are left over instead of "first unable not play is first out", then both people who tie gain the points of the other person they tied with.) The best thing is to play four games, so that each player has the chance to play first. The winner is the one with the highest cumulative score after four games. When only two people play, it requires each player to use two colors, and each player must take into account that the two colors belonging to a player can not touch each other. El Congo es un juego creado por el frances Charles Watilliaux entre 1874 y 1907, este juego hubiese caido en el olvido a no ser por otro frances llamado Michel Boutin que luego de una investigacion publico este juego en su libro: "Jeux de pions pour aujourd´hui" en 2001 y retomado por Oriol Comas en su libro "El Mundo en juegos" El Congo es un juego de estrategia abstracta muy simple pero con un tablero y una mecanica muy bella. Este juego trata de emular un sitio en la orilla del rio Congo. Jugando de a 4 personas cada jugador posee 12 fichas y las van poniendo una a una en el tablero hexagonal. La unica condicion para la colocacion es que no este adyacente a una ficha de otro color, aunque si puede estar tocando las fichas de su mismo color. Una vez colocada una ficha no se puede mover mas y no hay capturas de ningun tipo. Cuando un jugador esta bloqueado y no puede colocar mas fichas deja de jugar, cuando el tres jugadores ya no tienen colocaciones de piezas posibles se termina la partida. En ese momento se otorgan los puntos. El primer jugador que quedo bloqueado le otorga tantos puntos como el numero de fichas que no logro colocar en el tablero a los otros 3 jugadores que continuaron jugando; el segundo bloqueado hace lo mismo con los otros dos jugadores que quedaron en carrera y por ultimo el tercer bloqueado entrega puntos al ganador del partido, es decir que el ganador recibe puntos de los otros tres jugadores que han quedado por el camino. Lo mejor es jugar cuatro partidas, para que cada jugador tenga la posibilidad de jugar primero. Y ganara el que tenga el mayor puntaje total de las cuatro partidas. Para jugar de a dos personas solo se requiere que cada jugador utilice dos colores y hay que tener en cuenta por mas que los dos colores pertenezcan a un jugador igualmente no pueden tocarse entre si.

Artist

David McCord

Publisher

Self-published

Categories

Abstract Strategy

Mechanics

Area Majority / Influence
View on BoardGameGeek ›
Congo

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150-year-old Congo board game... the first of its kind?