Palago
Encyclopedia
Palago is a creative art
puzzle
/game
designed by Cameron Browne and Mike McManaway (inventor of Tantrix
).
A Palago set contains 48 identical tile
s which can be used for a series of puzzles, a strategic two player and a co-operative multi-player game (called Palagonia).
and author of two books on game theory
, created the tile design and the two player version (originally called Lambo) in 2007. The named was changed to Palago, due to the resemblance of the tiles to the island of Palau
and some strategic similarities to the game of Go. Browne proposed the concept of “Palagonia: A World of Shapes” to describe the many possible creature shapes that can be made with the tiles, several of which have been rendered as “Palagonian Puzzle Creatures” by Franco Giuliani, an Argentinian artist. The multiplayer version - also called Palagonia - was designed by McManaway and Browne in 2009, and uses all 48 tiles plus two specially designed “Palago” dice
.
The first player places two tiles in the middle with both colours matching. Play continues with each player always placing two tiles per turn, and obeying the basic rules.
Basic Rules:
To win:
Palago can be played with any number of tiles. The game is drawn if the tiles run out before either player wins, (although with 48 tiles this is unlikely).
Palago is balanced between attacking and defending strategies
. In fact, early in the game it can be wiser to defend without counter-attacking. This is because a player's overall position deteriorates with each attack while defending often seems to improve it. Then, when the timing is right, players should go on the attack and try to convert their superior position into a win.
direction.
Each turn consists of the following steps:
The options depending on what you roll are to remove a tile, rotate a tile, or add new tiles to the board.
Basic Rules:
Objective
Players score points by forming creatures. Larger ones are usually worth more, depending on their shape. The best way to close a high scoring creature is to team up with one of your neighbours (either the player just before you or just after you), because points are usually given to both players who contribute. The game ends when all the tiles have been used.
, Australia
, Germany
, Taiwan
, Poland
, Hungary
, Croatia
, and Greece
. It was chosen as one of the fair's top ten iconic images.
In September 2010, Palago won the New Zealand 'New Game of the Year' award.
Creative Arts
Creative arts is the term used to describe different types of art. Specifically, to introduce fine art ideas, techniques, skills and media. It is generally used as an umbrella for Dramaturgy, Music , Graphic Arts/Cartooning, Performing Arts, Film and Publishing, Galleries and Museums and the Visual...
puzzle
Puzzle
A puzzle is a problem or enigma that tests the ingenuity of the solver. In a basic puzzle, one is intended to put together pieces in a logical way in order to come up with the desired solution...
/game
Game
A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...
designed by Cameron Browne and Mike McManaway (inventor of Tantrix
Tantrix
Tantrix is a hexagonal tile-based abstract game invented by Mike McManaway from New Zealand. Each of the 56 different tiles in the set contains three lines, going from one edge of the tile to another. No two lines on a tile have the same colour. There are four colours in the set: red, yellow,...
).
A Palago set contains 48 identical tile
Tile
A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
s which can be used for a series of puzzles, a strategic two player and a co-operative multi-player game (called Palagonia).
History
Cameron Browne, an Australian mathematicianMathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and author of two books on game theory
Game theory
Game theory is a mathematical method for analyzing calculated circumstances, such as in games, where a person’s success is based upon the choices of others...
, created the tile design and the two player version (originally called Lambo) in 2007. The named was changed to Palago, due to the resemblance of the tiles to the island of Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
and some strategic similarities to the game of Go. Browne proposed the concept of “Palagonia: A World of Shapes” to describe the many possible creature shapes that can be made with the tiles, several of which have been rendered as “Palagonian Puzzle Creatures” by Franco Giuliani, an Argentinian artist. The multiplayer version - also called Palagonia - was designed by McManaway and Browne in 2009, and uses all 48 tiles plus two specially designed “Palago” dice
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
.
Palago
Both Palago and Palagonia can be played on any flat surface. To start Palago, each player chooses a colour and then draws a tile out of the bag to see who goes first (though having no significance in play, half the tiles have the colour of one player on the back and half have the colour of the other player).The first player places two tiles in the middle with both colours matching. Play continues with each player always placing two tiles per turn, and obeying the basic rules.
Basic Rules:
- At least one of the two tiles must connect to the palago (the tiles already played).
- The two tiles being played must touch each other.
- All touching edge colours must match.
To win:
- The first player with a closed creature using more than three tiles of their colour is the winner.
- The creature must be closed on the inside too.
- Only one tile needs to be played, if that tile results in a win for either player.
- A player loses if they close creatures of both colours on the same move.
Palago can be played with any number of tiles. The game is drawn if the tiles run out before either player wins, (although with 48 tiles this is unlikely).
Palago is balanced between attacking and defending strategies
Strategy
Strategy, a word of military origin, refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. In military usage strategy is distinct from tactics, which are concerned with the conduct of an engagement, while strategy is concerned with how different engagements are linked...
. In fact, early in the game it can be wiser to defend without counter-attacking. This is because a player's overall position deteriorates with each attack while defending often seems to improve it. Then, when the timing is right, players should go on the attack and try to convert their superior position into a win.
Palagonia
All players roll one die to begin. (Palagonia uses 2 custom dice, the 2,3,4, and 5 are standard but have action symbols instead of the 1 and the 6). The player with the highest actual number (2,3,4, or 5) starts the game by taking exactly that number of tiles and connecting them together in any way (with colours matching). If nobody rolls a number, then all players roll again. Play then continues in a clockwiseClockwise
Circular motion can occur in two possible directions. A clockwise motion is one that proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back to the top...
direction.
Each turn consists of the following steps:
- Roll both dice.
- Choose one to obey.
- Carry out that action.
The options depending on what you roll are to remove a tile, rotate a tile, or add new tiles to the board.
Basic Rules:
- When closing a creature, all tiles-to-be-played must form part of that creature or it does not score.
- If a player rolls doubles they get an extra turn.
- When one die action cannot be carried out, the other must be followed. If neither die action is possible, the player must remove an external tile.
Objective
Players score points by forming creatures. Larger ones are usually worth more, depending on their shape. The best way to close a high scoring creature is to team up with one of your neighbours (either the player just before you or just after you), because points are usually given to both players who contribute. The game ends when all the tiles have been used.
Additional information
Palago was officially launched at the 2010 Nuremberg International Toy and Game Fair and is currently available in these countries: New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It was chosen as one of the fair's top ten iconic images.
In September 2010, Palago won the New Zealand 'New Game of the Year' award.