Kanaloa

About this board game

Kanaloa is a 2–4-player island strategy game with an approximately 60-minute playing time, in which players use bamboo sticks to build bridges between islands.

Each bridge can change the balance of power across the board. Whenever a player gains a majority of bridges on an island, every other player loses all of their bridges on that island. This creates a direct contest for influence, as expanding your network can also remove opponents’ connections.

During a scoring round, players gain points for the islands they control. Building bridges is therefore more than a way to connect locations: it is the central means of establishing control and competing for points. Watch the distribution of bridges, look for opportunities to claim a majority, and protect your position before scoring takes place.

• Players: 2–4
• Playing time: approximately 60 minutes
• Core mechanic: build bridges between islands with bamboo sticks
• Scoring: earn points for islands under your control

Kanaloa premiered at Essen in 2002 as the up-to-four-player version of Arabana-Ikibiti, which was also published as Kahuna. It was later re-released by Tilsit as the second game in the Tilsit Collection series at Essen 2003.

The title can be confusing because Kanaloa was also the name of a different, similarly themed game by Bambus, the original publisher of Arabana-Opodopo. The game re-implements Arabana-Ikibiti and Kahuna, and online play is available through Yucata.de.