Ingenious

2004

Ingenious is a domino-style, color-matching board game that combines strategy and luck. Players aim to score in all colors, with the lowest score determining the winner!

45
minutes

1 - 4
player(s)

Medium Light

About the game

In Ingenious, a.k.a. Einfach Genial, players take turns placing colored domino-style tiles on a game board, scoring for each line of colored symbols that they enlarge. The trick, however, is that a player’s score is equal to their worst-scoring color, not their best, so they need to score for all colors instead of specializing in only one or two. In more detail, the game includes 120 domino-style tiles, each consisting of two conjoined hexes; each hex has one of six colors in it, with most tiles having different-colored hexes. Each player has a rack with six tiles on it, and on a turn a player places one tile from their rack onto two hexes of the game board. For each hex on this tile, they score one point in that color for each hex of the same color that lies adjacent to it and each hex in a straight line from it. If a player brings the score of a color to 18, they immediately take another turn. At the end of their turn, they refill their rack to six tiles. (Before refilling their rack, if they have no tiles on it that contain hexes in their lowest-scoring color, they can discard all of their tiles, then draw six new tiles from the bag.) When no more tiles can be placed on the game board or when one player scores 18 in each color, the game ends. Players then compare their lowest scores, and whoever has the highest low score wins. Ingenious includes rules for solitaire and team play; in the latter case, two teams of two play, with each player not being able to see their partner’s tiles and teams keeping a combined score that maxes out at 36 instead of 18.

Setup and rules summary

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Ingenious is a strategic board game that involves pattern building and color matching. It’s played with two to four players. Each game set contains the following components:

1. Game Board: The game board is a hexagonal grid where players place their tiles. The board has a specific layout that needs to be followed during gameplay. Each player starts from the edge of the board and expands inward, with the goal of forming lines of the same color.

2. 120 Tiles: The tiles are two-sided, with each side having one of six different colors. The players put these tiles on the game board to create patterns and score points. Each tile has two color symbols that players must match with other tiles on the board.

3. Tile Rack: Each player has a tile rack where he or she can place six tiles from the bag. This rack allows the player to easily see their available tiles. Players can only use the tiles that are currently on their rack.

4. 4 Scoreboards: Each player has a scoreboard to keep track of their points in each of the six colors. It also helps to determine the player’s lowest score, which is crucial for winning the game. As players create lines of matching color tiles, they move the corresponding color marker on their scoreboard.

5. 24 Wooden Markers: These markers are used to keep track of the points on the scoreboards. There are four markers for each of the six colors. As a player scores points in a certain color, they move the corresponding color marker along their scoreboard.

6. Bag: The bag is used to hold the tiles. At the start of the game, all tiles are put in the bag and mixed. Players then draw tiles from the bag to fill their rack.

In Ingenious, all these components interact to create a strategic and engaging game. Players take turns placing tiles on the board, matching colors, and scoring points. The player with the highest score in their weakest color at the end of the game wins.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Ingenious is an abstract strategy board game designed by Reiner Knizia. The game is designed for 2 to 4 players. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to set up the game:

Step 1: Board Placement
Place the game board in the center of the play area where it is easily accessible to all players. The game board is hexagonal in shape, with each point of the hexagon containing a different symbol.

Step 2: Distribute Player Racks
Each player gets a rack for holding their tiles that is placed in front of them. The rack should be positioned so that the other players cannot see the tiles.

Step 3: Initial Tile Drawing
Each player draws six tiles from the bag and places them on their rack. The tiles should be placed so that only the player who owns them can see their symbols.

Step 4: Scoring Trackers
Each player takes a scoring peg of their chosen color and places it on the zero space of every scoring track on the board. There is one scoring track for each of the six symbols.

Step 5: Determine Initial Player
The youngest player goes first. The play proceeds clockwise.

Step 6: Random Elements
The strategic aspect of Ingenious comes into play when deciding where to place your tiles on the board. The placement of tiles is not random but should be planned with careful thought. However, the drawing of new tiles from the bag after each turn introduces a random element to the game.

Step 7: First Round
In the first round, the initial player places a tile anywhere on the board. The tile must fit onto the board and cannot hang off. The next player then takes their turn, and so on. After placing a tile, the player scores points for each line of matching symbols that extends out from the two symbols on the tile they just placed. The player then draws a new tile from the bag to replace the one they just played.

Step 8: Game Continuation
Play continues in this manner with players taking turns to place tiles, score points, and draw new tiles until the bag is empty and no more tiles can be drawn. At this point, the end of the game is triggered, and the player with the highest score is declared the winner.

Game flow Round and round we go

Ingenious is an abstract strategy board game designed by Reiner Knizia. The game is played by 2 to 4 players. The game’s objective is to score points by placing colored tiles on the hexagonal board, aiming to create lines of matching symbols.

The game starts with each player picking a color and taking a score marker of that color. Then each player is dealt 6 tiles. The game is then played in rounds, with each player taking a turn. In each turn, a player performs the following actions:

Tile Placement: The player chooses one of the six tiles in their hand and places it onto an empty space on the board. The tile must be placed next to at least one other tile already on the board, unless it’s the first tile of the game. Each tile has two symbols on it, and the player scores points for each line of matching symbols that extends from the placed tile.
Scoring Points: After placing a tile, the player scores points. They count the number of identical symbols in a straight line from the new tile, in all possible directions. The player’s score marker is then moved along the scoring track, according to the points scored. The score for each color is tracked separately.
Draw Tiles: After scoring, the player draws a new tile from the bag to replace the one they placed, so they always start their turn with six tiles.

This process continues until all players have taken their turns. After a player’s turn, if the draw bag is empty and the player has placed their final tile, the end of the game is triggered.

In the end game scoring, players look at the color in which they have the fewest points – this is their final score. The player with the highest low score is the winner. In case of a tie, the second-lowest scores are compared, and so on, until there is a winner.

Ingenious is a game of strategy, where players must balance their scoring across all colors, as focusing too much on one color may lead to a lower final score.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

Ingenious is an abstract strategy board game where players place colored tiles on a hexagonal board and score points by creating lines of matching colors. The game ends under two conditions, both of which involve a player’s turn:

All Tiles Used: When a player finishes their turn and there are no more tiles left in the bag or on their rack.
Player Reaches Maximum Score: When a player finishes their turn and has reached a score of 18 in at least one color on their score track.

Before final scoring, all players must complete the following actions:

Action 1: In case of the game ending due to all tiles being used, the player who triggered the end gets one last turn. Other players will then have one final turn to play as many of their remaining tiles as possible.
Action 2: In case a player reaches a score of 18 in a color, they must announce it to other players, triggering the final round. Each player, including the one who reached a score of 18, gets one final turn.
Action 3: After the final round, players calculate their scores in each color. The player’s final score is determined by the color in which they have the fewest points. This means that a balanced strategy is essential in Ingenious.

The player with the highest lowest score is declared the winner. In case of a tie, the player with the highest second-lowest score wins, and so on. If there is still a tie, then the player who triggered the end of the game is the winner.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In Ingenious, players earn points by placing hexagonal tiles on the board. Each tile has two symbols, and points are awarded based on the number of matching symbols in a straight line from the placed tile. The scoring system is as follows:

Each player begins the game with a score tracker set to zero in all six colors.
When a player places a tile, they score points equal to the number of identical symbols in a straight line from and including the one they just placed.
Points are recorded individually for each of the two symbols on the tile.

The game ends when no more tiles can be placed on the board. At this point, the players’ final scores are determined by the color in which they have the fewest points. This system encourages balanced play across all six colors.

In the event of a tie (two or more players have the same lowest score), the tie-breaking rules are applied:

The player with the highest second-lowest score wins.
If there is still a tie, compare the third-lowest scores, then the fourth, fifth, and finally the highest.
If all scores are identical, the player who placed the last tile wins.

The strategy of Ingenious lies in maximizing points across all colors, rather than focusing on just one or two. This makes for a challenging and engaging game where every move counts.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

The board game Ingenious is a game of strategy and cunning, where players need to place tiles on a board to create patterns and score points. As you begin to master the basic rules, here are some more advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize gameplay:

Advanced Strategies

Plan ahead: It’s crucial to think a few moves ahead. Consider where you can place your tiles to score the most points, but also watch out for how your moves might benefit your opponents.
Balance your score: The player with the lowest color score determines the end game score, so it’s important to balance your colors and not focus too much on one color.
Block your opponents: If you see a fellow player is about to score big, consider using your tiles to block them.

Beginner Tips

Understand the scoring: Make sure you understand how the scoring works. The more similar color tiles you connect, the more points you score.
Start in the middle: At the start of the game, try to place your tiles towards the center of the board. This gives you more options for future moves.
Practice: As with any game, the more you play, the better you’ll get. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t win your first few games.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Ignoring colors: One common mistake is to focus too much on one color. Remember, your final score is determined by your lowest-scoring color, so it’s important to balance your colors.
Not blocking opponents: Don’t forget to keep an eye on your opponents’ game. It’s just as important to block their moves as it is to make your own.
Forgetting about bonus plays: Use your bonus plays wisely. If you score a six in any color, you get an extra turn. Plan these ahead to maximize your score.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay

Use a diverse strategy: Don’t just stick to one strategy. Adapt your game plan based on how the game is progressing.
Keep track of the tiles: Each color has 18 tiles. Keeping track of the tiles that have been played will give you a better idea of what might be played next.
Practice spatial awareness: Ingenious is a spatial game, so improving your spatial awareness can help you optimize your gameplay.