Chai

Chai places you in the shoes of a tea merchant who must craft the perfect blend for each customer. Each player starts with an empty tea box and, on each turn, can visit the market, pick additives, or reserve a customer. Visiting the market means buying a flavor tile—rooibos, green, oolong, black, or white—and if the tile touches another of the same type, it also enters the box. The player then receives gold coins and places the tile in the rightmost column of their bank. Picking additives lets the player take cards of milk, sugar, honey, vanilla, or chai spices; the player may take all cards of a type or reset the selection. Reserving a customer lets the player take a customer card from the visible pool or the deck; the player can hold at most three unfulfilled cards, otherwise one is discarded. At the end of each turn, the player may complete a tea order using the ingredients shown on the card: a base tea symbol, flavors, and additives. When the cup is full, the player flips a tip, gains extra coins, and moves the thermometer. The game ends when five rounds of cups are filled; all players complete the final turn so everyone has the same number of turns. Scoring comes from completed orders, remaining money, and, in 3‑to‑5 player games, bonuses for recipe diversity.

The game is light, with easy‑to‑learn rules and playtime ranging from 20 to 60 minutes. Components include a game board, flavor tiles, additive cards, customer cards, gold, silver, and copper coins, and a thermometer. Production quality is high, with well‑designed pieces and an aesthetic that evokes a tea shop. Although the game is casual, the strategy of picking the right flavors and planning orders can create tense and fun moments.

Chai is great for 1‑to‑5 players and works well in 30‑to‑60 minute sessions. If you enjoy card games with a food or drink theme, or are looking for a quick game before dinner, Chai will be a fun addition to your collection. The open‑draft mechanic gives each player unique choices, while set collection rewards flavor combinations. Though not a deep strategy game, the player interaction and need to adapt to available cards make each session unique.