Carat (board game)

Carat is a two-player abstract strategy board game designed by Stefan Kögl, published in 2008. The game revolves around strategically placing diamond-shaped tiles (the "carats") onto a hexagonal game board to connect specific opposing sides.

Gameplay:

Players take turns placing one carat per turn onto an empty space on the board. Each carat has two colored sides, and the players must choose which orientation to place the tile. The objective is to create a continuous chain of tiles of their own color connecting the two sides of the board assigned to them. The first player to successfully create this connection wins the game.

Objective:

The primary objective of Carat is to form a contiguous path of your assigned color connecting your two designated sides of the hexagonal game board before your opponent does.

Strategy:

Strategic considerations include:

• Blocking: Preventing your opponent from forming their own connecting path.
• Building: Creating your own path while simultaneously anticipating your opponent's moves.
• Orientation: Carefully considering the orientation of each carat placement, as this directly affects the potential for future connections.
• Long-term Planning: Thinking several moves ahead to anticipate opportunities and threats.

Components:

The game typically includes:

• A hexagonal game board with spaces for the carats.
• A set of diamond-shaped tiles (carats), with two colors each, typically in equal quantities for each player.

Variants:

Some variations of Carat may exist, potentially altering the board size or the number of tiles available to each player. The fundamental rules of connecting opposing sides remain consistent.