turtles (2024): Buy or sell now

Turtles is a two-player abstract game of sea turtles hatchlings finding their way to safety in the sea. Each player leads their turtles in opposite directions across the board, and the two opposing turtles will collide—forming and disbanding stacks of turtles, pushing each other astray, and supporting each other to safety. It's a heady yet casual game that can be delightfully surprising. Each player starts with five turtles labeled 1-5, representing the turtles' size, strength, and weight. The goal of the game is to be the first player to get three turtles across the board and past the opposite end. This will require stacking, pushing, and careful maneuvering of the turtles on the board. Players alternate turns, moving one turtle per turn. When a turtle moves, it may interact with other turtles based on its attributes: smaller turtles use their size to climb on the backs of others and stack up; larger turtles use their strength to push others around (or off!) the board. Stacked turtles move more efficiently, but they can be dislodged when turtles climb into them, replacing their position in the stack. And if a stack gets too large, its bottom turtles may be immobilized due to the heavy weight above them. These are some of the strategic choices players will make as they bring their turtles closer to the end and prevent their opponent from doing the same. Note that this game requires a light amount of addition involving low numbers (1-5). And while the game mechanics may sound simple at first, it will probably take a few plays before they start to sink in. —description from designer