Mozaic is a
two-player
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
abstract strategy
Abstract strategy games admit a number of definitions which distinguish these from strategy games in general, mostly involving no or minimal narrative theme, outcomes determined only by player choice (with no randomness), and perfect information. ...
board game
Board games are tabletop games that typically use . These pieces are moved or placed on a pre-marked board (playing surface) and often include elements of table, card, role-playing, and miniatures games as well.
Many board games feature a comp ...
, in which players try to score points by placing colored
glass
Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling (quenching) of ...
gemstones
A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semiprecious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, an ...
onto a game board to form square patterns. The game was designed by Martin H. Samuel. It was originally produced by Games Above Board,
Sunnywood, Inc., of
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
, then licensed and published through
Sterling Games in 2003.
Giseh Verlag launched the game in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
at
Essen Spiel
Internationale Spieltage SPIEL, often called the Essen Game Fair after the city where it is held, is an annual four-day boardgame trade fair which is also open to the public held in October (Thursday to the following Sunday) at the Messe Essen ex ...
in 2006. An Axiom-powered
electronic version of Mozaic was programmed for the
PC platform by Greg Schmidt in 2010.
Gameplay
The Mozaic game board has 64 tiles (8 x 8 squares) with a score-keeping "
ladder
A ladder is a vertical or inclined set of rungs or steps used for climbing or descending. There are two types: rigid ladders that are self-supporting or that may be leaned against a vertical surface such as a wall, and rollable ladders, such a ...
" on either end. Players may choose between either amber or cobalt gems, which are picked to construct their point-scoring squares. Players take turns drawing gems from a bag, one at a time, and place them on any empty tile on the board. 4 points are scored when four gems of the same color are placed to form a square. Existing squares may be built upon and expanded, and several point-scoring combinations may be completed at one time with a single gem. During the game, players keep score on their side of the board with an extra gem of their color. The game is over when the last gemstone is placed, all the tiles are covered, and only the four exception gems remain in the bag. The player with the most points wins the game.
In addition to the cobalt and amber gems, Mozaic also offers four "exception" gemstones that, when drawn, allow for certain actions:
*Rubies cause the player to skip their turn.
*Sapphires allow the player to slide any gem
diagonally to an empty adjacent tile.
*Onyx allow the player to take two turns.
*Diamonds allow the player to remove any gem from the board and replace it in the bag.
Exception gemstones are always returned to the bag after a turn.
References
{{Reflist, 30em
External links
Games Above BoardMozaic at Boardgamegeek
Board games introduced in 2003