Description

Taoex is an abstract strategy game where players use mono-directional tiles to navigate a hexagonal grid to capture opponents’ tiles to create multi-directional towers for greater mobility. Using the 6-pointed compass, that control all direction of play, located in the center of the board, players take turns placing their 12 tiles (2 for each compass direction) in the optimum starting hexes. Once all the 36 starting hexes have been filled the game begins with the players taking turns advancing at least 1 tile into play per turn. Within the board there is a 6-pointed star called The Way where tiles are forced to roll the 10-sided Taoex die to charge the path a tile/tower moves across the board. Regardless of whether the roll is beneficial to the rolling player, the tile must move the roll along the Way if it can. Tiles/towers that traverse board to the far side of the board, if the tile/tower manages to line up with a starting hex, the tile/tower can wrap around the board to come out on the other side once again. An excellent tactic when hunting new directions.

As players begin collecting enemy tiles, by landing on them, they form towers of up to 6 tiles tall, maximum. Anything over 6 tiles the tower’s owner either removes enemy tiles from play or in the case of his own, liberates them and returns them to an open starting hex of the appropriate direction of the tile. The game is won by a player collecting 6 of one enemy’s tiles into a single tower or, if 1 player captures/eliminates all opponent tiles.

Taoex is a challenging and unique abstract strategy game that is very simple to learn and yet offers the players a mental workout as they master their play. Naturally, the rules that govern the game are more complex than the description written above, but it is the nuances in the rules that makes all games more interesting and Taoex offers its fair share. If you are the kind of gamer that enjoys using your mind to defeat opponents rather than just relying upon some lucky dice roll or random chance, then Taoex is a game for you.

—description from the publisher