The concept behind Pentagonia has its roots in ancient times. Similar to games in the Men's Morris line (for example, Twelve Men's Morris), this board game requires strategy to master. Pentagonia's rules and five-sided game board are designed to eliminate much of the first-move advantage that characterizes the Men's Morris games. It is a pleasantly addictive game for children approximately 8 years old and up, and many parents will want to join in the fun as well.
The game is designed for a head-to-head competition between two players. The goal: to defeat your opponent! In order to do so, however, players must formulate strategies and plan ahead.
The board features a large pentagon with ten sets of three spaces for the game pieces. Each player begins with 15 stones, either red or blue. There are four main phases to the game--the placement phase, slide phase, leap phase, and double-leap phase. Players take turns placing their game pieces on the board, keeping in mind the goal of creating "triplets" (three in a row in a straight line) and preventing their opponent from forming them. When a triplet is formed, the player can permanently remove one of the opponent's game pieces from the board. Once all of the pieces have been placed, players enter the slide phase. Players continue to alternate turns, but they begin to slide their pieces to open adjacent spaces on the board. If a player "traps" his or her opponent during this phase (that is, surrounds the opponent's pieces so that they can no longer slide), it is possible to end the game during this phase. Otherwise, the next phase of the game, the leap phase, ensues. This phase begins when a player has five pieces remaining on the board, and involves moving pieces to any open position on the board. The double-leap phase begins when both players are allowed to leap. Players win the game when their opponent is either trapped or has less than three pieces remaining on the board.
Pentagonia is addictive and fun. Although it appears simple at first glance, players quickly learn that they must use their brains in order to accomplish the goals of the game. In fact, success demands that children draw on reasoning and planning skills. Learning how to play the game will be easy for most kids ages 8 and up; learning how to master it is another story! Although the game is not especially time-consuming, it requires complete attention and immersion while it lasts. Families that prefer to avoid mindless games will find Pentagonia a worthy addition to their board game collection.
