Sixth Game in Project GIPF to Appear at Spiel 07
Kris Burm released PÜNCT at Spiel 05, apparently finishing Project GIPF, his series of six abstract games that rank head and shoulders over almost all others—but as it turns out, there’s been a change of plans. One game has been removed from the series, and a new game will appear in its place.
And if you had to guess which game is out, then you’re probably not a dedicated fan of all things GIPFian. TAMSK, the second game in the series, includes sandtimers for pieces, and the real time aspect of the game—with pieces “dying” when they run out of sand—has always stood out from the other games in the series. This difference wasn’t so noticeable when TAMSK first appeared because there was only one other game to compare it to. In the context of the entire project, though, it’s a fast-melting ice cream sandwich in a pile of candy bars.
So TAMSK is getting the boot and will reappear as a standalone game with a new look and new name sometime in 2008 from Belgian publisher Smart, which took over from Don & Co. for Project GIPF in 2006.
In its place will come TZAAR. Here’s a description of the game from Kris Burm:
| TZAAR is a game about making choices. Both players have 30 pieces, divided in three types: 6 Tzaars, 9 Tzarras and 15 Totts. The 3 types of pieces form a trinity: They cannot exist without each other. The aim is either to make the opponent run out of one of the three types of pieces or to put him in a position in which he cannot capture anymore. The tricky question the players will have to ask themselves on each of their turns is: “Shall I make myself stronger or my opponent weaker?” Meaning: Will you capture an opponent’s piece and make him weaker, or will you jump on top of one of your own pieces and make yourself stronger? If you choose to jump on top of your own pieces too often, you will probably leave your opponent with too many pieces on the board. On the other hand, if you capture too often, you may end up with pieces that are not strong enough at the end of the game. What to do? Up to you to decide! |
TZAAR will be released by Smart on a broad scale in 2008, but a special pre-release edition of the game—limited to 1,000 copies signed and numbered by designer Kris Burm—will be on sale at Spiel 07.
As for the cover design, Burm says, “The box has a preliminary design, specially for the pre-release edition that we’ll show in Essen. Smart wants to restyle Project GIPF, but it takes time to come to final decisions about it. That is why we have planned a limited edition for Spiel ’07. It is a special treat for the gamers who go to Essen, and it also gives us more time to finish the new look for all six games together.”
[Updated 8/22 with cover image and details about the future box design.]
Source: Smart
Posted by W. Eric Martin on Sep 22, 2007 at 06:00 PM in Game News, Convention Preview News / 3354
Comments:
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"Depressingly generic”, Eric? That I find offensive :-) I’ll be looking forward to “Tzaar”, which may very well be one of the highs of this years pilgrimage. Posted by Remo Rehder on Sep 20, 2007 at 05:26 PM | #
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I want details, Remo! A similar situation: We’re at a bar and you tell me about this great drink you had the other day. “You’ll be amazed by its absolute liquidity, by its ability to flow from the bottle into your glass and get your clothes wet should you spill any,” you say. “?” I respond. That’s what I expect a drink to do. The description might as well say, “Kris Burm is awesome.” I agree, but it doesn’t tell me anything about the game. Posted by W. Eric Martin on Sep 20, 2007 at 05:40 PM | #
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I understood that, Eric, hence the smiley. hehehe But a very nice comparison. Have we met? It sounds like a discussion I might have had with a couple of friends… We agree on both issues; Kris Burm IS awesome and we want more info. Let’s see if they respond to our pleas. Posted by Remo Rehder on Sep 20, 2007 at 06:02 PM | #
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I wonder if there will be new Tzaar potentials, or if the Tamsk potentials will just be converted over… Posted by Matt Fullenwider on Sep 20, 2007 at 06:30 PM | #
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Funny, because I always thought TAMSK was the only one of the post-GIPF games to really fit in the whole “potential” framework. You could actually play a “side-game” of TAMSK in 10-15 minutes or so, making the prospect viable (unlike PUNCT or YINSH, which are modestly lengthy games in their own right). Plus the TAMSK-potential was powerful but difficult to activate, making side-games rarer but higher-stakes (to my mind, a good thing). Plus TAMSK was different enough that adding it rewarded a different set of skills, making the basic GIPF game perhaps more attractive to people who weren’t necessarily heavy-duty look-ahead/analysis types. I really like all the games in the series, and I’m actually not a fan of abstracts at all in general. But TAMSK was the only one really crying out to me to be combined with GIPF with potentials. Most of the rest, if you combined them with GIPF, would make a true monster game. Posted by Chris Farrell on Sep 20, 2007 at 06:46 PM | #
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Woo-hoo. The only one of the GIPF series I don’t have, and it gets kicked out of the family :). Can’t wait to hear more about TZAAR. Posted by Ryan Olson on Sep 20, 2007 at 07:48 PM | #
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I, too, was wondering if we’ll see TZAAR potentials to expand GIPF. Poor TAMSK, so maligned. Posted by Nathan Morse on Sep 20, 2007 at 08:20 PM | #
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TZAAR makes me think of Tsar or Czar, so I think the game will have stacking and/or levels. :) Posted by Jim Cote on Sep 20, 2007 at 09:59 PM | #
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Well, hope I don’t spoil anything with this but here it goes :
Furthermore, perhaps somewhat more important for collectors : I’ve asked if this box would have the same layout and apparently it wouldn’t > SMART has a different idea to commercialize the series and well… Enough said :-) Posted by Dimitri Giako on Sep 20, 2007 at 11:06 PM | #
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”...meanwhile also creating towers of stackable pieces and so forth...” I knew it! ;) Posted by Jim Cote on Sep 20, 2007 at 11:08 PM | #
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Poor TAMSK. Never understood, often maligned. Melting ice cream? No. TAMSK, we love thee. TZAAR we welcome you like a brother. Posted by Brent Mair on Sep 21, 2007 at 11:06 AM | #
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