Through the Desert First Impressions

Build a camel caravan Through the Desert.

But don’t go near other camels of the same colour!

The desert is still treacherous, mysterious, and without mercy. But for those willing to risk the dangers of the shifting, sun-baked sands, the desert holds riches beyond compare.

Each player attempts to score the most points by snaking caravan routes through the desert, trying to reach oases and blocking off sections of the desert.

Through the Desert Summary

An obvious comparison for this game is Samurai. Another in the Reina Knizia Tile Laying Trilogy along with Tigris & Euphrates.

In Samurai, you’re laying tiles to control points rather than building a route. But here you can piggyback off the other player’s tiles rather than having to stay away from them.

TransAmerica is route building game where you both help (not on purpose) and hinder (on purpose :)) your opponents. You can use their routes to help you build your path then block them off with a piece of your colour.

Of course, I can’t mention route building without talking about Terra Mystica and Gaia Project 🙂

Building a Camel Caravan is tricker than you think.

Especially when you can’t merge colours and the board gets tighter and tighter as more and more scoring opportunities are blocked off. The question here is how you balance using your turns to score while also blocking people off.

If you can block off an Oasis or a 2-3 point waterhole with a Camel then do it. How much effort do you put in if you notice someone cornering off a section of the board? Thee are worth big points so you want to restrict them if possible. But you can’t fight on 4 fronts on your own, you need other players to do the same thing.

Then hope they let you go free and do what you like 🙂

Jesta ThaRogue