Menara

Very much like a Jenga or Rhino Hero. I like the different levels of strategies though. Do I finish this floor to place another floor? Do I spread the columns out? Do I extend the base?

This game is a great solo game. I've played multiple games solo and with four people. You get the same tense feelings no matter the player count.

Super excited about this purchase. I have been looking for this game for over a year now and was happy when I found it through Board Game Bliss. Reasonably priced and it arrived in perfect condition! Would definitely recommend to a friend.

I grew up playing Jenga. In college, I learned and loved Bandu (aka Bausack). When my kids were a few years old, we started playing Villa Paletti. All are excellent games that I still greatly enjoy. However, all are competitive. When I heard about Menara, a COOPERATIVE stacking game, I was intrigued and added it to an order. I am so glad I did! This has become an instant favorite. Players work together to place wooden columns atop strangely shaped cardboard platforms that indicate where the columns go. The goal is to build the tower to a certain number of levels. On a player's turn, they reveal an action card from one of three decks (easy, medium, and hard). The cards specify what they must do: add columns to the structure, fill a platform with columns, move columns to higher levels, or move an entire platform. When all locations on a platform are filled, a new platform is placed on the structure. Usually this makes the structure taller, but you can alternatively add to the ground floor, with the cost that the final tower must now be one level taller.

I have enjoyed this game with my family and with well entrenched gamers. Win or lose, every game is exciting. Some cooperative games feel like you are playing against random chance. Even with the event cards, this is about working together to build a most unlikely and beautiful structure. By far, this was the best (and most played) new game for me this year.

Awesome game for all ages.