The Number: A board game with almost no optics

The Number by Repos Production is a novelty that amazes at first glance: the board game does not require any frills, it is basically the prototype for a work that does not care about looks. Even less is almost impossible. The makers of Concept bring the new game onto the market and understand The Number as a mix of different mechanisms: bluffing, willingness to take risks and, of course, guessing.

Repos Production, der belgische Verlag hinter Concept, bringen ihr neues, mysteriöses Spiel auf den Markt: The Number. Das Spiel ist für drei bis fünf Spieler ab 8 Jahren geeignet und erscheint am 5. Mai. Dieses kleine Spiel eines japanischen Designers lässt sich in keine bisherige Kategorie einordnen und ist ein einzigartiges USO – unidentifiziertes Spielobjekt. Spieler lernen Tiefe und Mechanik des Spiels in wenigen Partien kennen und entdecken so den einzigartigen Zauber der Spiele von Repos Production. In Deutschland erscheint das Brettspiel über Asmodee.

The Number is a mix of various popular board game mechanics, such as bluffing, risk taking, but also guessing. One game mechanic involves anticipating your opponent's next moves and adjusting your strategy.

Japanese minimalism in board game form

Japan is often seen as a creative hub, and this is especially true when it comes to board games, as the unique Japanese fan community is brimming with ideas. Japanese designers are also known for their minimalist designs, which can be explained in part by the typically small houses, but also by the fact that Japan is more likely to play in places other than home, so games tend to be pocket-sized. Also, every year during the Game Market fair, a competition called "500 Yen Games" is held, in which participants are asked to design a game and sell it for 500 yen (about 5 euros) during the fair. All these elements create a perfect environment for the small games in Japan.

How to play The Number? The game consists of two rounds of five turns, in which all players take turns at the same time. The first step is choosing! Each move, the players write down a number between 000 and 999 on their own game board and show their choices. The second step is the comparison! Players sort their numbers from largest to smallest. The numbers are then compared and checked to see if they are acceptable or not. Results are allowed if they do not share any digits with any of the numbers below. However, if at least one digit matches any of the numbers below, it is eliminated.

Larger numbers get more points than smaller ones, but also run the risk of losing points if digits match smaller numbers. Finally, there are points: if the number is accepted, players receive as many points as the first digit of their number. Then players must scratch off their board the digits they used in their number. You cannot use the digit again for the rest of the round. After several rounds, the options are reduced, making each decision even more strategic. After 2 rounds, the player with the highest score wins the game.

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