Taluva

About this board game

Taluva is a strategic island-building game for 2–4 players, with games lasting around 45 minutes. Players compete to settle a South Sea island as volcanoes erupt and new land rises from the ocean.

On each turn, choose whether to place a new volcano along the shore and expand the island, or erupt an existing volcano to raise the surrounding terrain. Each tile contains one volcano and two other landscape types. Tiles must touch the island when placed at sea level, or be stacked on at least two tiles without leaving gaps beneath the new land.

After placing a tile, you add one or more wooden buildings. Settlements begin with a single hut on the lowest level, then can expand across adjacent hexes of one terrain type. Temples become available when a settlement covers at least three hexes, while towers can be placed on level three or higher.

• Place tiles to grow or raise the volcanic island.
• Develop settlements with huts, temples, and towers.
• Use terrain and eruptions to limit rival expansion.

Volcanoes can destroy parts of settlements, but never an entire settlement. A lone hut may block a volcano placement and protect nearby development, while a carefully positioned eruption can divide a large settlement into two faster-growing areas.

When all tiles have been placed, the player with the most temples wins, with towers and then huts breaking ties. A player can also win immediately by placing all buildings of two types, while being unable to place any building legally causes immediate defeat. In Taluva, preparing your own growth is only part of the challenge; restricting your opponents can be just as important.