2023 · Real-time

Quicksand

Players cooperate in real time to prevent a system of sand timers from triggering a mechanical trap. Each scenario lays out a path of gear tiles with colors and shapes and places sand timers (with differing amounts of sand) on the first gears; some scenarios add obstacles to the path. On a turn, a player plays one card from a three-card hand (color, shape, or sand timer) and refills. Playing a color or shape flips all timers on matching gears, advancing them one space if the next space is empty. Playing a sand-timer card flips a single timer. Timers that run out are set aside and can only be recovered by later flipping and placing them back onto an empty matching gear; a timer that runs out twice ends the game in defeat. The group wins if all timers safely reach the final open spaces without irrecoverable failures.

groupPlayers

1–7 best 2

schedulePlaying time

15 min

cakeAge

8+

psychologyComplexity

1.1 / 5