About Quartino, from BoardGameGeek:
QUARTINO Did you always want to try an abstract boardgame, but were afraid of Chess, Checkers was too boring, and nobody was willing to teach you Go? QUARTINO is just for you! This dynamic and clever game from Czech author Petr Doubek shall satisfy your gaming needs…
QUARTINO is an original abstract strategy game with simple rules. It is full of unexpected turns and the suspense lasts until the very last turn. Be the first to clear your hand by creating the right pattern on the board and you're the winner. Easy, right? However, be aware your opponents all have the same goal.
QUARTINO rewards forward thinking, spatial awareness, and sustained focus. However, there is just enough oportunities to allow for unexpected twists and keep players on their toes!
Design of the game is very elegant and the game uses only natural materials. The game revolves around a laser-cut wooden board, complemented with wooden stands and wooden stones of four different colors. The game also contains 24 QUARTINO cards, each with a unique combination of four colors.
Awards & Honors
2021 IG Players Choice Award
2022 ÉducaFLIP Nominé
How to play QUARTINO?
Each player draws four QUARTINO cards and places them secretly in his card stand. Each card contains a unique combination of four colors. Players take turns, and in each turn they place one stone of their choice on the game board. They try to complete one of their QUARTINO cards, i.e. create a color combination matching one of their cards. Game stones can be placed on top of each other. For the completion of QUARTINO, only the top stones count.
If a player completes a QUARTINO on the game board, he shows the card and removes all stones from the QUARTINO from the game board. Then she plays again, i.e. places a new stone.
Whoever completes all his QUARTINO cards first, wins the game.
Before each player´s turn, two special rules can come to play:
If there are 4 or more stones of the same color on the board (all stones, not just top stones), the player can say “color” and place an additional stone.
if there are 4 or more stones of any color on top of each other on the board, the player needs to remove all the stones in such columns. The player can then place an additional stone.
QUARTINO - theory of game
Rules for QUARTINO game you can find in the box, but here you can find some tips how to play successfully.
Of course, you can play randomly without much thought and analysis, which we recommend especially when you play with children or when play 3 or more players. However, there are 5 basic tips for a more successful and interesting game for two players game.
1) First look closely at all 24 cards in the game. You will find that some of them can have up to 3 positions in the same color combinations. Imagine a order of place stones so that your opponent does not have a chance to make a combination from another card after your turn.
2) Imagine before your turn whether your opponent could make a combination after place your stone. You don't have to count the combination you have and the ones your opponent has already created and placed on table.
3) Before first turn: Look closely on cards you have and try to find pair with some common color combination. This can help you to win one of them easily.
4) If you place first stone, try to make rule "Column"(4 stones in one column) as fast as possible, but only in situation, when opponent don't have chance to make combination. It will help you to avoid situation when is on board 12 stones (3 pieces from each color) and you have to place 4. stone from some color.
5) Try to remember stone colors and their positions your opponent try to place. You can learn from this his card combinations.
Lot of those tips use players at QUARTINO tournaments. Game is a bit longer then, but you can use e.g. chess clock to limit time for one game.
