# Through the Desert ## General Info - **Year Published**: 1998 - **BGG Rating**: 7.2 - **BGG Rank**: #533 - **Players**: 2-5 (Best with: 3) - **Duration**: 45 min - **Weight**: 2.16 / 5 - **Designers**: Reiner Knizia - **Artists**: Atha Kanaani, Brian Schomburg, Claus Stephan, Damien Mammoliti, John Gravato, Scott Nicely - **Publishers**: KOSMOS, Allplay, Edge Entertainment, Fantasy Flight Games, Galakta, Hobby Japan - **Categories**: Abstract Strategy, Animals, Arabian - **Mechanics**: Chaining, Connections, Enclosure, End Game Bonuses, Hexagon Grid, Hidden Victory Points ## Verdict If you love abstract strategy games, Through the Desert is a classic you can't miss, with cute camels and sharp decisions!Pure abstract strategySimple rules, tactical depthCharming components (camels!)High replayabilityClever indirect interactionMight be a bit dry for someLight themeRequires long-term planningHIGHLY RECOMMENDED ## Description In Through the Desert, you'll become a nomadic leader in the heart of a treacherous yet rich desert. Your goal is to guide your camel caravans to conquer oases and dominate vast stretches of sand. This classic by Reiner Knizia, known for his abstract strategy games, pits 2 to 5 players in a clever point-scoring battle, using charming plastic camels. Each turn, you add two camels to the hexagonal board, expanding your routes or starting new ones. The trick is that there are five colors of camels, and you have a set of each. Connecting caravans of the same color, enclosing oasis areas with water sources and bonus points, and having the longest caravan of each type at the end are the keys to victory. But beware! Your opponents are watching and can cut you off from valuable resources. It's a game that somewhat resembles the elegance of Go, where every move counts and planning is crucial. Will you focus on extending a giant caravan, or on controlling as many oases as possible? The decision is yours, but the competition is fierce. Through the Desert is part of Knizia's famous 'tile-laying trilogy' and offers a deep yet accessible strategic experience, perfect for those seeking a brainy challenge without overly complex rules. ## How to Play Game Objective Prepare for a desert adventure where five Bedouin tribes seek to establish their dominance! In Through the Desert, your goal is to become the true Lord of the Desert by creating the most strategic caravan routes, occupying valuable wells, and connecting to lush oases. You will earn points by surrounding desert zones and forming the largest caravans. Position your camels wisely, for victory lies in the highest score! Preparation (Setup) Let's set up the table and prepare the board for your journey! Board: Use the entire board for 4 to 5 players. For 2 to 3 players, ignore the part delimited by the thicker line. Starting Player: The youngest player starts the game. Play proceeds clockwise. Components per Player: Each player receives 6 Bedouins of one color and 1 camel of each of the 5 colors (light and gray). Mounting Bedouins: Place 1 Bedouin on each of your 6 camels. The 5 Bedouins on the light camels are your Caravan Leaders. The Bedouin on the gray camel is your Player Marker and should be placed in front of you to indicate your color. Camel Piles: The remaining camels (without Bedouins) should be separated into 5 piles, one of each color, and placed next to the board. Note for 2 players: Remove 10 camels from each pile. Note for 3 players: Remove 5 camels from each pile. Note for 5 players: Each player must remove 1 Caravan Leader (a light camel with a Bedouin) of a different camel color. Oases: Place the 5 palm trees on any of the 7 palm tree spaces on the board (for 2 or 3 players, there are only 6 palm tree spaces). Wells: Shuffle the Well Markers (1, 2, or 3 points) and place them randomly, face up, on each space marked with a blue circle and on unoccupied palm tree spaces. Any remaining Wells in 2 or 3 player games should be removed from the game. Place the remaining point markers next to the board. Initial Bedouin Placement: Clockwise, starting with the Starting Player, each player places one of their Bedouins on an empty space on the board. It is forbidden to place Bedouins on: Spaces that contain a Well, an Oasis, or another Bedouin. Spaces adjacent to an Oasis or another Bedouin (including those of the player themselves). In the 1st round of Bedouin Placement, no player may place a Bedouin riding a camel of the same color as another already placed on the board. In subsequent rounds, this limitation does not exist. Rounds continue until all Bedouins are on the board. Once this is done, the game begins! Initial Strategy Tip: Spread your Bedouins across the board, distancing them as much as possible from other placed Bedouins. Initial positioning is fundamental for success! The Game Turn Starting with the Starting Player, each player, on their turn, performs the Caravan Development phase: Camel Placement: The player must take 2 camels (of the same color or different colors) from the piles off the board and place them, one at a time, on an empty space or a space containing a Well. Exception in the 1st Round: The first two players can only place 1 camel each. In 2-player games, this rule only applies to the first player to play. Camel Placement Rules: A camel must be placed on a space adjacent to another camel of the same color belonging to the player. This means that each player can only have one caravan of each color, as you will always place camels from the camels of the same color ridden by your Bedouins. A camel cannot be placed next to a camel of the same color belonging to another player's caravan. Camels can be placed next to camels of different colors, regardless of who owns them. Actions when Placing Camels: When positioning your camels, you can perform the following actions and earn points immediately: Occupy Wells: If you place a camel on a space that has a Well (1, 2, or 3 points), you become its owner. Take the Well for yourself and place it face down in front of you. Connect Oases: If you place a camel on one of the six spaces adjacent to an Oasis (palm tree), you receive a 5-point Oasis Point Marker, which you place in front of you. Each caravan can only receive one Oasis Point Marker for each Oasis it connects to. If you connect your caravan to several different Oases, you receive points for each one. If you connect several different caravans to the same Oasis, you receive points for each caravan you connected. If multiple players connect their caravans to the same Oasis, including caravans of the same color, everyone receives the points. Surround Zones: If you place a camel such that one of your caravans (of a single color) forms an uninterrupted chain that completely surrounds an area (one or more spaces), you become the owner of this Zone. To do this, you can only use your own caravan, or use the board edges and the mountains in the center of the board. It is not possible to surround Zones with caravans of different colors. A surrounded Zone cannot contain any camel inside it (regardless of who owns it). When you surround a Zone: If the surrounded Zone has any Wells, you immediately take them, placing them face down in front of you. You do not need to occupy these spaces with your camels. If the surrounded Zone has one or more Oases that are not connected to the caravan surrounding the Zone, you immediately receive a 5-point Oasis Point Marker for each surrounded Oasis. You do not need to place camels on the spaces adjacent to the Oases. Once a Zone is surrounded, no player (not even the one who surrounded it) can place camels inside it. These areas are completely excluded from the game. End of Game and Scoring The game ends at the end of the turn of the player who placed the last camel of any of the 5 colors. At this point, the final point count is performed: Largest Caravans: Check which players have the largest caravan of each color (the caravan with the most camels of each of the 5 colors). Each of these players receives a 10-point Caravan Point Marker. If two or more players tie, having the same number of camels of a certain color, each receives a 5-point Caravan Point Marker (in this case, the 10-point marker is not earned by anyone). Tip: A caravan doesn't have to be giant to earn 10 points, it just needs to be larger than those of the other players! Surrounded Zones: Determine the value of the Zones surrounded by each player. Each space inside a surrounded Zone is worth 1 point, except for Oasis spaces, which are not counted. Wells and Oases: Players must sum all the Well and Oasis Markers they have collected during the game (1, 2, 3, and 5 points, depending on the markers obtained). After summing all points, the player with the highest total score wins the game. In case of a tie, players share the victory! Tips for Winning Spread your Bedouins Initially: The Bedouin Placement phase is crucial. Try to position your Caravan Leaders at strategic points, far from each other and from other players, to have more expansion options and access to different areas of the board. Keep an Eye on Oases and Wells: Prioritize connecting to Oases and occupying Wells. These provide immediate points and can be decisive. Remember that you can connect multiple caravans to the same Oasis to score more, and even surround Oases to earn points without needing direct adjacency. Pay Attention to Surrounded Zones: Surrounding Zones is a powerful source of points, both for the Wells and Oases that may be inside, and for the area points at the end of the game. At the same time, keep an eye on opponents' caravans to prevent them from surrounding large and valuable Zones before you do! ## FAQ ### Is Through the Desert a complex game? No, it has very simple rules to learn, but offers surprising strategic depth. It's easy to start, but hard to master! ### What is the best player count for Through the Desert? It works well at all counts (2-5), but many players prefer it with 3 or 4, as the competition for space and oases becomes more intense and fun. ### How long does a game of Through the Desert last? A game usually takes between 30 to 45 minutes, making it perfect for a quick strategy session or to warm up before longer games. ### Are the components good? Yes! The highlights are the colorful plastic camels, which are super cute and functional. The hexagonal board is also of good quality. ### Who is Through the Desert recommended for? It's ideal for fans of abstract games, like Go or Azul, who are looking for a tactical challenge with little luck. It's also great for those who want a game with simple rules that rewards clever planning. ### Is there luck involved in the game? Practically none! Through the Desert is a game of pure strategy and tactics, where your decisions are the main factor for victory. There are no dice or random cards. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 38.06 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5642565&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/1251/through-the-desert?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com