Game Review: Polarity

By Greg J. Schloesser
February 14, 2007

Publisher: Temple Games
Designer: Douglas Seaton
Players: 2
Playing Time: 30 minutes

Magnets fascinate many folks. I can recall studying the properties and effects of magnets in grammar and high school science classes and being fascinated at how they could be used to create some pretty weird effects. They have even been used in numerous games, but perhaps not as prominently as in Polarity.

Polarity has been around for over 20 years but is only now really beginning to have reasonably wide distribution. Temple Games, makers of ChiZo Rising, has reissued the game, and it comes attractively packaged in a canvas bag. The game includes over fifty black and white magnetic discs, a solitary red disk, and a canvas map upon which the magnets will be placed during the course of the game.

The canvas mat serves as the playing field, and the sole red disk is placed at the center. Each player receives half of the disks, and the board is seeded by each player placing five of their disks into the circle. No two disks may touch.

Game play is relatively simple in concept, but often very difficult to execute. Each turn, a player will attempt to place a disc on the mat, but it must be placed in such a fashion so that it remains “elevated”, with only a small portion touching the playing surface. This is done by sliding the disk close to a disk that is flat on the mat, then allowing it to remain partially suspended above the playing surface at a 45 degree angle. This unusual position is caused by the magnetic force field being emanated from the disc that is flush on the mat.

The danger here is that if a player moves the disc too close to the disc already on the mat, they can snap together. It is also possible to cause other “floating” discs to fall, or snap together with other discs. This is known as causing a “fault”, and the consequences aren’t good.

• If previously standing discs fall to the mat and are not touching any other disc, then the player simply yields the turn to his opponent.

• If discs on the mat snap-up and join the disc the player is attempting to place, the player must add all of these discs to his stack of discs.

• If discs on the mat snap together, the player’s opponent gets to take that stack of disks (known as a “tower") and place them anywhere on the board with his color facing upwards. This stack occupies valuable space on the mat, which greatly diminishes as the game progresses. Positioning of these towers and other discs is vitally important, as it will force players to take risks when attempting to place their discs.

Sometimes a player wants to cause “floating” discs to fall flat, as this will give him additional placement options on subsequent turns. This isn’t easy to cause, however, and the attempt often results in discs snapping together, which forfeits those discs to one’s opponent.

The game ends when one player depletes his stack of discs. Each player then adds the number of discs he has in his towers, then subtracts any discs still remaining in his hand. The player with the greatest total is victorious. The game can also end in defeat if a player causes a disc to touch the center red disk.

The successful balancing of the discs is the main challenge present in Polarity. It takes awhile to acquire the skill, and it is mainly one of “touch”. As you slide a disc towards another disc, you begin to feel the force of the other magnet. The challenge is to find that delicate line where the disc will “float” on the force field and remain suspended. Push it just a tad bit too far and it will snap together with the other disc.

Care must also be taken when reaching across the mat to place a disc, as it is quite possible for the magnet’s force field to affect previously balanced discs. As the board becomes more and more crowded with discs, it becomes increasingly more difficult to squeeze in another disc. While it is common to “float” two discs over a disc that is flush on the mat, it is quite difficult to float a third.

While balancing discs is the main skill, the game also includes a territorial aspect. When placing captured towers, it is important to try to occupy valuable space and make it more difficult for your opponent to float new discs. As mentioned, as the board fills, it becomes more and more difficult to fit new discs onto the board, so positioning of the towers and newly placed discs is very important.

Polarity is challenging and fun … up to a point. The game is very one-dimensional. What you see is what you get, and there really aren’t any deeper strategies or tactics to pursue. As such, each game feels much like the game that preceded it. You really won’t experience much of anything new on further playings. After just a few playings, it grew stale for me. I want more depth and more options in my games, so while there is no denying its uniqueness, Polarity simply doesn’t have legs.

[Editor’s note: Temple Games has ditched Polarity’s canvas bag for a more traditional box.]

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