Columba

Players build dovecotes, capture and arrange pigeon tiles into flocks, expand those flocks on a shared tableau, and breed falcons to harass opponents. Each player starts with a set of dovecotes used to claim flocks (one larger dovecote doubles the score of its flock) and begins by collecting one pigeon of each breed to satisfy initial goal cards. On a turn, a revealed tile is placed to cover pigeon spaces and capture required pigeons; captured tiles go to the player’s goal card and, when a goal is completed, are mounted to the player mat to enlarge flocks or taken to start a new goal. Players may discard tiles to raise baby and then adult falcons, which can be sent to reduce an opponent’s flock size. The game ends when no more goals remain; unfulfilled goals cost points, and players score the tiles/squares of flocks claimed by their dovecotes to determine the winner.

Players: 2–4 best 2
Playing time: 30 min
Age: 8+
Complexity: 2.3 / 5