Quinamid

About this board game

Quinamid is a two-player abstract strategy game with play typically lasting around 10 minutes, in which players compete to create a line of five counters.

The game uses five boards of differing sizes, arranged to form a pyramid. On each turn, a player chooses one of three options: place a counter in a vacant space, rotate a board through 90 degrees, or move a board one position in any orthogonal direction. When a board is moved or rotated, the boards above it move or rotate with it.

A key restriction keeps every turn tactically important: the next player may neither move nor rotate a board that the previous player moved or rotated. Players continue taking turns until one of them reveals five counters in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line.

Moving boards can cover boards beneath them, hiding their counters from view. As a result, Quinamid combines simple actions with a useful memory challenge: recalling what lies under the various boards can help you plan an attack or anticipate your opponent’s opportunities.

• Players: 2
• Typical play time: around 10 minutes
• Objective: reveal a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line of five counters
• Components: wooden boards and counters in a wooden presentation box

Individual games can be completed in two or three minutes, making a best-of-five series a natural way to explore different strategies. Designed for ages 8 to 80, the portable game suits quick play at home, on a train, at the beach, or at a picnic.

Released in 2007, Quinamid is also available for online play at Boardspace.net, including real-time, turn-based, and AI options. Boardspace.net offers local multiplayer and online play on iOS and Android.