Totemo

About this board game

Totemo is a colourful 3D building game for 2–4 players, with games lasting around 30 minutes. Players place custom-designed blocks in a restricted playing area to construct totem poles and earn victory points.

Every placement is governed by colour. Blocks must be positioned according to their own colour and the colours of the blocks they may touch in three dimensions. For example, a purple block may be placed on its own or adjacent to purple, red, or blue blocks.

The more blocks a newly placed piece touches, the higher the score for that placement. This makes each addition to the growing structure an opportunity to look for valuable connections while working within the limited playing area.

• 3D construction: Build totem poles by placing custom-designed blocks.
• Colour-based placement: Follow the colour rules governing which blocks may touch.
• Connection scoring: Score more when a placement touches more blocks.
• Random bonuses: Special spaces on the score track are randomly determined at the start of the game.

Bonus placements and additional scoring are possible when you land exactly on one of those special spaces. The changing locations of these spaces give each game its own scoring opportunities.

Released in 2010 by Surprised Stare Games, Totemo combines bright colours, tactile custom blocks, and three-dimensional construction in a compact competitive experience. Its simple central idea—place blocks according to colour, connect them in space, and score for the resulting contacts—makes every placement part of the growing totem pole.