I was already a fan of Mandala, a tense 2019 abstract game that sees its competitors tactically placing colored sand cards in a mimic of an ancient and sacred ritual. Thus, I was eager to try its sequel, Patterns, another small-box 20-minute game, where two players are tasked with manipulating colored sand tokens as part of an ancient and sacred ritual and… who am I kidding. This is essentially a pure abstract game where colored tokens are strategically moved about a grid to best one’s opponent. There are many such exalted designs fitting this description; does this one deserve to stand among them?

Gameplay Overview:

Setup for patterns requires laying out 52 tokens, sandy side up, belonging to six unique color classes, randomly on the playmat, and letting players draft their start tokens from the remaining two. From this point on, it is a game of perfect information. Players can choose from 1 of 2 options on their turn:

1. Create a new color group. Using the colored token in your hand, swap it out with another token, placing it facedown (dark-side up) somewhere on the playmat to establish a color group that is different from any other color groups of your own. If this is your first color group, every token of the same color added to this group in the future will be worth 1 point. If it’s your second color group, every token will be worth 2 points… and so on up to a max of 6.
2. Expand an existing color group. Flip over a sandy-side-up token of matching color orthogonally adjacent to one of your established color groups so it is dark-side-up. Alternatively, use the token in your hand to swap it out with a token orthogonally adjacent to one of your established color groups of matching color, and place it dark-side up. Either way, the newly flipped or placed token is locked in place and will serve as one of your scoring tokens.

Players alternate taking turns until someone has no legal moves remaining.

The end-game state of a game of Patterns is shown here. Almost all tokens have been flipped, and there are no legal moves remaining.

Game Experience:

Teaching this game is as quick as reading the overview above; setting up the 52 starting tokens probably takes longer. Within these simple rules, however, lay several layers of strategy that seem to continually reveal themselves upon successive plays, and the variable set-up lends for near-infinite replay value. At first glance, it might seem obvious to always gun for tokens that allow you to establish early color groups among the largest collections of same-colored tokens. But doing so means tokens within that large group only have the potential to score one or two points each. If you hold off on claiming a juicy color cluster until later, it would be worth more points for you. Then again, what if your opponent nabs that same color cluster before you have the chance?

Tokens have been removed for end-game scoring. Colors have different values for the two players. Here, red tokens are worth 6-points each for the white player but only 3-points for their opponent.

As an exclusively two-player game, mitigating your opponent’s point scoring is equally as important as making scoring opportunities for yourself. Once your opponent establishes their 3- or 4-point color group, you better be careful not to let them expand it too much—you can usually do so by expanding one of your own color groups into their territory or establishing a new color group that blocks their orthogonal expansion. Timing in the game is crucial as well. You may have simultaneous opportunities to expand your own 5-point color group or to cut off your opponent’s 4-point color group. Do you prioritize expansion or blocking? Which action leaves you with the better follow-up action? How will your opponent respond to your decision? This is the type of game where I am constantly putting myself in my opponent’s shoes, trying to predict what their strongest move is, and using that prediction to decide my next move. Or maybe my next three moves.

Despite the 20-minute game time, Patterns also manages to have a robust arc. Your options are wide open in the beginning, and all tokens have equal value, but as play progresses, tokens get locked by both players. Expansion routes become more limited. Colors start getting assigned differing valuations to the two players, and this drastically changes the calculation of the best moves. Your flexibility is drastically diminished as you deplete colors with which to start new groups—there are only six. It is a constant balancing act to establish color groups quickly enough so you can claim good color clusters with high-value tokens, but not so quickly that you deplete your flexibility too far before the game’s end.

The start-game state is shown here with all tokens sandy-side up on the board.

My complaints are rather minor. Color is a pivotal element of the game, and while the sandy-side of the tokens are slightly different from one another, I imagine color-blind players would struggle to distinguish some of them. The box art is almost insultingly boring given how great this game is. While I would have very much appreciated Splendor-like poker chips for the tokens, the cardboard tokens Patterns uses are sturdy and allow for a more reasonable price point. Finally, it’s worth noting that this game usually requires blocking your opponent at some point; I never feel like the game is mean, but it is best played by opponents willing to embrace similar levels of aggression.

Final Thoughts:

Patterns absolutely deserves a spot among the top-revered abstract games. The ruleset is simple enough for children to grasp. The decision space is deep enough to challenge heavy gamers. The replay value is fantastic; I am sometimes tempted to play two games of Patterns back-to-back. It is a perfect information, zero-luck game that encourages planning several moves ahead. The game arc is highly entertaining throughout and filled with fun tension and player interaction. Sure, there’s not much theme, and the components don’t amaze, but it’s an abstract game, and the game design is perfection. If you enjoy interactive abstract games, I strongly recommend this one.

Final score: 5 Stars – An elegant abstract design that is intensely player interactive and packs an impressive amount of thinking into 20 minutes. An addictively fun gaming experience.

Hits:
• Simple ruleset
• Deep decision-making
• Intensely player interactive

Misses:
• Not color-blind friendly
• Perfectly fine (not amazing) production