Introduction
Calico is a popular board game that offers an innovative and interactive gaming experience for those who enjoy strategy-based games. Designed for two to four players, the objective of Calico is to accumulate the most points by collecting tiles in sets of matching colors. In addition to manipulating a unique four-layered track design as they move around the board, players must collect tokens on each turn and work towards completing hidden patterns that unlock additional reward tokens. The simple yet interesting gameplay combined with its vibrant art style makes Calico a great game for the whole family!
Other games similar to Calico include Carcassonne, Kingdomino, Sushi Go!, Ticket To Ride, and Splendor. Carcassonne has you building your own kingdom by placement of land tiles while Kingdomino has you placing domino pieces with varying amounts of crowns. Sushi Go! presents you with drafting and passing cards in order to win points while Ticket To Ride has you forming train routes across many different cities in Europe. Finally, Splendor has you building gem supplies and acquiring bonus points as soon as possible in order to win the game. These games have elements similar to those found in Calico but each still retains its own unique rules and objectives for gamers. Whether you’re looking for a casual family game or a competitive strategy game, these titles can provide hours of engaging entertainment alongside Calico!
Overview of Calico
Calico is a unique twist on the classic board game of Catan. Players enter the whimsical, colorful world of Calico, where they develop beautiful quilt patterns while exploring the four corners of their island, crafted from uniquely shaped tiles. In each game, players must use strategy and resource management to craft their own patchwork quilt using fabrics collected throughout the isolated island.
Gameplay in Calico consists of two phases, building and scoring. During the building phase all players simultaneously place pieces on their individual islands but must carefully consider how fabric placement affects neighboring players as well. Once all pieces touching are placed there are additional recourses rewarded based on alignments, unlocking new strategic possibilities. The second phase involves scoring. When finished the pattern is placed in a central location for all players to view and score for specific motifs according to an included book that explains associated point values for each piece placement. These points are compared amongst all participants with bonus calculations awarded when unique tile combinations are achieved including ‘rainbows’ (a sequence of five increasing numbers across rows) or ‘angels’ (three groups of four disconnected consecutive numbers). Additionally, points are also evaluated based on number placements chosen in relation to an adjacent player’s island. The ultimate goal is to accumulate the most points before completing a set amount of rounds determined at the outset of gameplay by its participants making this game both time conscious and very competitive.
Examples of Games Like Calico
1. Pandemic ” Players work cooperatively to beat the game and defeat a raging pandemic.
2. Between Two Cities ” Allows players to build two different cities and compete for prestige points in order to win the game title.
3. Kingdom Builder ” Players strategize a map of their own kingdom with roads and structures, collecting resources from assigned terrain hexes as they attempt to score points.
4. 7 Wonders ” Uses a card-drafting style of play where each player selects cards that either provide resources or special abilities for them to spend in building theirs wonder or other monuments.
5. The Castles of Burgundy ” Place polyomino tiles on your personal game board which is randomly created at the start of each game, filling all spots with your buildings.
6. Agricola ” Build and manage your farm, collecting resources along the way while trying to make sure your family is as well nourished as possible during challenging times.
7. 2048 Puzzle Game – Join tiles together in the classic version of the hit one-player puzzle game, swim away from any addition conflicts by sliding them up, down, left or right until you join 4 or more blocks together!
8. Machi Koro” Roll dice roll (sum) then collect coins and buy building cards in order to receive money every time someone plays any game action card based on what you have built so far on your plot of land in this Japanese card set themed city builder game!
Pros & Cons of Games Similar to Calico
Splendor: Splendor is a card and resource-management game in which players take on the role of wealthy jewel merchants. The goal is to accumulate prestige points by buying and collecting gem cards. To “purchase” gem cards, players spend chips that represent different kinds of jewels. What makes Splendor unique compared to Calico is that it requires strategic planning by managing resources and selecting the most profitable acquisitions in order to obtain more points as quickly as possible. As a result, it can be seen as creating mini markets and calculating various investment opportunities in order to come out on top.
Ticket To Ride: Ticket To Ride is a board game where players collect train cards in order to claim railway routes across North America. The object of the game is to connect cities with the longest railway routes while blocking opponents from completing their own routes. What sets this game apart from Calico is its focus on long-term strategy and spatial awareness as you consider route options, identify obstructions, and build extended webs of railroads. You’ll also rely on pattern recognition skills when selecting which cards to acquire throughout the course of the game.
Comparisons to Other Popular Games
Monopoly: Calico is a completely different game than Monopoly. While both involve buying, selling and trading properties, Calico is a much faster-paced game that winds up being concluded in under an hour. The goal of Calico is to have the most money by the end of the game, whereas in Monopoly you win by bankrupting your opponents.
Settlers of Catan: Both games involve trading resources and building settlements, but Settlers of Catan also includes dice rolling for random resource acquisition; in contrast, resource blocks randomly appear in Calico after being purchased from the game board. Additionally, Settlers of Catan takes around 2 hours to play complete with various objectives concerning settlements and roads. Despite their similarity, Calico is much simpler with the goal to simply get money at the end of the match.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are a variety of games similar to Calico that have a similar set up and mechanics. These include Catan, Splendor, Kingsburg, Castles of Burgundy and A Feast for Odin. Each game provides unique experiences with its own complexities, variant strategies and fun themes. These options provide players with the opportunity to find a game that best fits their play style and preferences. Therefore, it is encouraged to explore each option available to discover the right game for you!
I love playing all kinds of games – from classics like Monopoly to modern favourites like Ticket to Ride.
I created this blog as a way to share my love of board games with others, and provide information on the latest releases and news in the industry.
