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LUDOS Asia (Lemery Games, 2024)

Summoned past: classic abstract games from Asia with unique graphics. Review.

Written by

Máté Lencse

Educator, game designer,

founder of PlayWise

Why listen to him?

Máté has been regularly playing modern board games and classic abstract board games since 2013. He plays because he loves to. He plays because as an educator, it is his most important motivational and developmental tool. He plays because as a father, it is one of the highest quality times spent with his daughter. He plays because it adds to his marriage. He plays to get to know games and as a game designer, to be able to create new ones. Thus, it's not surprising that he often plays through 15-20 games weekly. Learn more about him and his background on his author page or follow him on social media:

I have long followed the work of my fellow world-traveling compatriots (Krisztina Felmery, Tamas Leidal). Chili Mafia is a much-played, beloved card game of ours, and I even had the opportunity to get a sneak peek at the development of Reviving Kathmandu during a test session. The plan was for that to be the next product I acquired, but I ultimately couldn't resist the LUDOS Asia abstract game collection, especially after seeing that there was a Print and Play version available. The Kickstarter campaign was an incredible success (3624 backers), and I finally printed out the boards and played several rounds of the games.

Boards

Note from Máté

I am convinced that we don't play enough classic games. It amazes me when I meet someone who is even more familiar with the world of modern board games than I am, who has every new release, plays serious games with good taste, yet has no idea what Go or Bridge is, to name just two well-known titles. I believe that to fully understand the marvels that surround us now, we should be familiar with the pioneering modern games from the 70s and 80s as well as the classics that are hundreds or even thousands of years old. Lemery Games' effort to introduce and familiarize a wider audience with these games alongside their series of card games is incredibly important.

Note from Máté

I am convinced that we don't play enough classic games. It amazes me when I meet someone who is even more familiar with the world of modern board games than I am, who has every new release, plays serious games with good taste, yet has no idea what Go or Bridge is, to name just two well-known titles. I believe that to fully understand the marvels that surround us now, we should be familiar with the pioneering modern games from the 70s and 80s as well as the classics that are hundreds or even thousands of years old. Lemery Games' effort to introduce and familiarize a wider audience with these games alongside their series of card games is incredibly important.

Note from Máté

I am convinced that we don't play enough classic games. It amazes me when I meet someone who is even more familiar with the world of modern board games than I am, who has every new release, plays serious games with good taste, yet has no idea what Go or Bridge is, to name just two well-known titles. I believe that to fully understand the marvels that surround us now, we should be familiar with the pioneering modern games from the 70s and 80s as well as the classics that are hundreds or even thousands of years old. Lemery Games' effort to introduce and familiarize a wider audience with these games alongside their series of card games is incredibly important.

Review

Print and play

The print and play pack I received after purchase perfectly meets expectations. It includes everything needed, along with instructions, making it very user-friendly. I only printed out the rules and the boards, which I also laminated. As I work in game pedagogy, I have plenty of tools at home, so the pieces and throwing sticks were easily assembled, but it's not out of the question that I might also beautifully craft these components for the set one day.

Games

If you purchase LUDOS Asia, you can explore four games. Bagh Chal is a true asymmetric battle where one side aims to strike and the other to trap, offering enjoyment on both sides. Hasami Shogi is an interesting variation of Shogi ("Japanese chess"), simpler and easy to learn, yet a clever game where you can quickly approach victory, but the final move is much harder to execute. Jarmo is distinguished by its board and the surprising network of connections between its squares, while the game itself is very simple, as you move, occasionally strike, and simply try to reach the other side. However, the unusual layout of the squares often finds you inexplicably out of position as a novice. Yut most resembles the game Pachisi with its throwing sticks adding a special ambiance, while the board layout and linking of pieces make the game deeper and more exciting, although luck still plays a very strong role.

2 players

Although Yut can be played with multiple players, I consider this entire package to be an abstract two-player game collection. I really enjoy this format, whether I'm playing with my 7-year-old daughter, my wife, my friends or my students. The intimacy of two-player games can be incredibly special, and I'm happy when I can create a gaming environment, whether at home or at school, where winning is completely secondary.

Review

Print and play

The print and play pack I received after purchase perfectly meets expectations. It includes everything needed, along with instructions, making it very user-friendly. I only printed out the rules and the boards, which I also laminated. As I work in game pedagogy, I have plenty of tools at home, so the pieces and throwing sticks were easily assembled, but it's not out of the question that I might also beautifully craft these components for the set one day.

Games

If you purchase LUDOS Asia, you can explore four games. Bagh Chal is a true asymmetric battle where one side aims to strike and the other to trap, offering enjoyment on both sides. Hasami Shogi is an interesting variation of Shogi ("Japanese chess"), simpler and easy to learn, yet a clever game where you can quickly approach victory, but the final move is much harder to execute. Jarmo is distinguished by its board and the surprising network of connections between its squares, while the game itself is very simple, as you move, occasionally strike, and simply try to reach the other side. However, the unusual layout of the squares often finds you inexplicably out of position as a novice. Yut most resembles the game Pachisi with its throwing sticks adding a special ambiance, while the board layout and linking of pieces make the game deeper and more exciting, although luck still plays a very strong role.

2 players

Although Yut can be played with multiple players, I consider this entire package to be an abstract two-player game collection. I really enjoy this format, whether I'm playing with my 7-year-old daughter, my wife, my friends or my students. The intimacy of two-player games can be incredibly special, and I'm happy when I can create a gaming environment, whether at home or at school, where winning is completely secondary.

Review

Print and play

The print and play pack I received after purchase perfectly meets expectations. It includes everything needed, along with instructions, making it very user-friendly. I only printed out the rules and the boards, which I also laminated. As I work in game pedagogy, I have plenty of tools at home, so the pieces and throwing sticks were easily assembled, but it's not out of the question that I might also beautifully craft these components for the set one day.

Games

If you purchase LUDOS Asia, you can explore four games. Bagh Chal is a true asymmetric battle where one side aims to strike and the other to trap, offering enjoyment on both sides. Hasami Shogi is an interesting variation of Shogi ("Japanese chess"), simpler and easy to learn, yet a clever game where you can quickly approach victory, but the final move is much harder to execute. Jarmo is distinguished by its board and the surprising network of connections between its squares, while the game itself is very simple, as you move, occasionally strike, and simply try to reach the other side. However, the unusual layout of the squares often finds you inexplicably out of position as a novice. Yut most resembles the game Pachisi with its throwing sticks adding a special ambiance, while the board layout and linking of pieces make the game deeper and more exciting, although luck still plays a very strong role.

2 players

Although Yut can be played with multiple players, I consider this entire package to be an abstract two-player game collection. I really enjoy this format, whether I'm playing with my 7-year-old daughter, my wife, my friends or my students. The intimacy of two-player games can be incredibly special, and I'm happy when I can create a gaming environment, whether at home or at school, where winning is completely secondary.

Playing with My Daughter (Bagh Chal)

Illustrations

I really like the boards; they are uniform, beautiful, and the whole thing has a great atmosphere. I was a bit uncertain whether I should go for the boxed edition, but right now I'm quite attracted to the world of print and play, so I'm sticking with it for now. In any case, the names Ivett Perlaky, Tímea Kőszegi, and Lívia Varga should be mentioned here because they did an excellent job.

Overall Impression

I would like to reiterate: this is an important release, as it makes old classics visible and does so successfully, reaching many people. The quality is excellent, the rules are good and filled with welcome additional information. My personal favorite is Bagh Chal; I really want to unravel the mystery of the goats. I've long enjoyed Shogi, and that will certainly be brought out often as well. Actually, I've put together a nice travel pack with the 4 boards, 40 pieces, and four throwing sticks, so I'll be making a lot of people happy with this in the coming period.

Playing Yut on the Train

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Love our content? Show your support by sharing our page with your friends and help us inspire more families and educators with the joy of learning through play! Your shares truly make a difference. Thank you for being a wonderful part of our community!

Spread the Fun of Learning!

Love our content? Show your support by sharing our page with your friends and help us inspire more families and educators with the joy of learning through play! Your shares truly make a difference. Thank you for being a wonderful part of our community!

Spread the Fun of Learning!

Love our content? Show your support by sharing our page with your friends and help us inspire more families and educators with the joy of learning through play! Your shares truly make a difference. Thank you for being a wonderful part of our community!

Reviews

Quality gaming sessions are also accessible with print and play games.

I'll check out the other reviews.