Sinoda (2024)

Sinoda

Sinoda is an abstract strategy game played using 4-sided dice as the pieces on a beautiful "flower of life" pattern board. Players must capture the most points worth of pieces from their opponents.

On their turn, a player may move a piece OR rotate a piece to increase or decrease the top number by 1. The number at the top is the piece's movement value, indicating how many spaces it must move (should you choose to move it), but it is also the points value of the piece awarded to the opposing player if they capture it. Captures are made by finishing a move on top of another player's piece. During a move, a piece may not move over another piece, or back through a space it just went through.

The game ends immediately when:

• All players have only one piece on the board, or...
• A player has lost their last piece on the board, or...
• A player has captured 6 opposing pieces

Once the game ends, players add up their captured points. Since the winner is the player with the most captured points and not the player who has captured the most pieces, it is possible to lose all of your pieces and still win! There is also a special win by Sinoda that happens in two player games.

Sinoda plays differently at two, three, four, and six players. All still feel like Sinoda, but everyone should experience the tactical and social nuances of each. The six-player game is unique because it plays like a social game that meets abstract strategy. It has lots of banter, discussions, and requires trust for cunning plans. You’ll wonder if your opponent will go this turn alone, stick to the plan, or turn on you. The two-player game is a clean abstract strategy with deep thought and game changing moments. Don’t forget team play: you don’t add your team’s points together at the end. Any member of your team wins, and the entire team wins. This allows for more aggressive play with certain team members.