CONTRAST
The Idea
This game of mine was originally created for my board game rental service, and that’s how it’s now making its way into the collection of free, downloadable print and play games. The goal is the same: for it to reach as many people as possible, for players to share it with each other, for me to have a rough sense of who’s playing my game—and maybe even to connect with them.
And of course: no manufacturing, no shipping, only as many copies exist as there are people willing to play it. Let’s be mindful of the ecological footprint of playing.
CONTRAST was inspired by an interesting work from one of my favorite game designers: Reiner Knizia’s 2019 two-player gem, Chartae. I find it fascinating when I can trace my sources of inspiration—and often, undeniably, they’re other designers’ games.
What I personally missed from Knizia’s game was the ability to traverse the shared map you’ve built together. I carried that thought with me until I finally sat down to design: I made it more abstract, added new shapes, and introduced new mechanical elements: flipping tiles (and thus memory), and of course, movement with roll-and-move.
That last one is one of my favorite mechanisms—precisely because it’s such an old, often-dismissed mechanic, and it’s incredibly exciting to see if we can breathe something new into it (my favorite positive example of this is Deep Sea Adventure).
Game Components
The game is available for free download and can be played, but if you feel inclined to support the game designer, you can do so on their Patreon page - even with just $1.
About the Game
This is a two-player game, a true duel. The playtime is around 20–30 minutes, and I recommend it for ages 6–7 and up.
The game requires 13 tiles, which you can download alongside the rulebook. You’ll also need 2 pawns—I suggest using black and white pieces to emphasize the beautiful contrast—and one special die with values: 1-1-1-2-2-3.
I made mine by dotting an empty die, but of course, if that’s not an option, a regular D6 will work too, as long as you agree on which numbers correspond to which values.
Game Designer: Máté Lencse, co-owner of Playwise
Placing a Card
How to Play
The game consists of two parts. First, we build the board. Here, you’re not only placing tiles, but you can also flip, rotate, and even move them.
Then, in the second part, you set off and try to reach the goal tile before your opponent. Instead of moving, you can also choose to reshape the board.
It’s a tight, close race, with a bit of luck added by the die. (This last part is, of course, somewhat divisive—but I personally love these kinds of fusions: clever, logical construction and tactics combined with a touch of luck.)
Roll and Move
The game is available for free download and can be played, but if you feel inclined to support the game designer, you can do so on their Patreon page - even with just $1.
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