BITS

About this board game

BITS is a simultaneous multicolored tile-placement game for 1–4 players, with a playing time of about 45 minutes. Designed by Reiner Knizia as a successor to FITS, it challenges players to build patterns on their own boards while responding to shared task cards.

The game lasts three rounds, and everyone is active at the same time. At the beginning of each round, a communal task card is revealed and added to any other task cards already in play. These cards determine the shapes or colored groups players may need to create, along with the points they can gain or lose for completing those requirements.

Each player begins the round with a randomly determined starting tile. Building cards are then revealed one at a time. Every player takes the tile shown, places it in the top row of their board, and lets it slide down into position among the tiles already placed.

• Play simultaneously on individual boards.
• Place multicolored tiles as they slide into position.
• Respond to communal task cards featuring shapes and colored groups.
• Score points at the end of each round.

After all the tiles have been placed, players score according to the task cards in play. Some objectives award points, while others can cause players to lose points, making each round a test of careful tile placement and task completion.

The player with the highest score after three rounds wins. BITS also includes an optional fourth round for players who want to continue, as well as scoring targets for solitaire play. Released in 2011, it offers a focused way to enjoy Knizia’s pattern-building design with one to four players.