That Old Wallpaper

About this board game

That Old Wallpaper is a pattern-matching game for 2–5 players, with a playing time of about 30 minutes. Players compete to recover a house wall by matching as many wallpaper patterns as possible.

Each turn, wallpaper cards are available at several locations. Everyone simultaneously chooses a location. If you are the only player to select one, you claim the card or cards there; if multiple players choose the same location, each of them receives a hazy memory card instead.

Regular wallpaper cards must be added to your played cards immediately. Your goal is to match pattern halves and create complete designs. Patterns appear in four colors, and each color has two symbol sizes. A wild pattern is also available to help shape your wall.

• Simultaneous location selection creates competition over the available cards.
• Hazy memory cards show a wallpaper pattern along only one edge.
• Regular wallpaper cards must be placed as soon as you receive them.
• New wallpaper cards are dealt to every location at the end of each turn.

Because a new card is dealt to each location every turn, some locations may build larger piles than others. Choosing where to go—and judging where other players are likely to go—helps determine which wallpaper you can collect.

At the end of the game, use your hazy memory cards to complete patterns along the edge of your wallpaper. Then score each color separately: the number of large symbols is multiplied by the number of small symbols. A color scores nothing unless it has at least one large symbol and one small symbol.

Released in 2022, That Old Wallpaper combines simultaneous choices with immediate pattern placement and carefully timed scoring. Build a wall with connected designs while deciding when to pursue a contested location and when to choose a less crowded one.