Damask

About this board game

Damask is a 2022 board game for 1–4 players that takes about 60 minutes, casting players as master weavers competing to earn the most money and the favor of the Weavers’ Guild.

Inspired by the journey of ancient weaving techniques from Damascus along the Silk Road to Venice, the game centers on richly woven fabrics. Each damask card shows two of six colors and one of four patterns, while 26 colored cubes begin the game randomly arranged on a spinning wheel.

Players draft damask cards from the display or collect cubes from the wheel. To take cubes, choose one and move clockwise or counter-clockwise until reaching the second cube of any color, collecting everything along the way. Place the cubes on damask cards or keep unused pieces in your overstock.

• Complete each damask with three cubes of one color and two of another.
• Mount a completed damask by returning its five cubes, earning coins for matching colors and patterns with your previously mounted damask.
• Take all cubes of one color from an opponent’s overstock, giving them a guild favor in compensation.
• Use guild favors to replace missing cubes, refresh the display, mount an additional damask, or avoid taxes on leftover cubes at season’s end.

Season cards introduce changing color and pattern goals. Mounting a damask that matches the current season can earn guild favors, adding another layer to each decision. Mounted damasks can also contribute toward end-game bonuses for collecting all six colors or all four patterns.

In Damask, careful drafting, timing, and opportunistic use of the spinning wheel help turn colorful materials into valuable textiles. The player with the most coins, including coins earned from guild favors, wins.