''Polarity'' is a
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 ...
that requires strategic thinking and
dexterity
Fine motor skill (or dexterity) is the coordination of small muscles in movement with the eyes, hands and fingers. The complex levels of manual dexterity that humans exhibit can be related to the nervous system. Fine motor skills aid in the growt ...
to control hovering
magnet
A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nickel, ...
ic discs.
Development
''Polarity'' was invented in 1985 by failed Canadian artist and designer Douglas Seaton. It was first published in
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
**Spain and Portugal ente ...
. The game has had a tumultuous past, with its rights changing hands several times over the past two decades. The game has been published by Telemotion Technologies, Irwin Toy, briefly with Mattel and most recently by
Temple Games
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
. The game ships in a canvas sleeve and include the magnets, the board, and a paper rulebook. An unrelated game of the same name is published by a company called
Mindwalk (Company)
''Mindwalk'' is a 1990 feature film directed by Bernt Capra, adapted from his short story based on '' The Turning Point'', a nonfiction book by physicist Fritjof Capra, his brother.
Plot
The film portrays a wide-ranging conversation among three ...
.
Gameplay
The purpose of the game is to gain points by forming towers of discs. The playing pieces are magnetic discs, with one side white and the other black, north and south respectively. They are identical with the exception of a neutral central disc which is coloured red.
Play starts with one player tossing the central red disc in order to determine which player plays with which colour/magnetic polarity. Each player then lays 5 'foundation discs' of their colour starting with the white player. Each disc can be placed on the playing area with no limitation other than to be inside the external circle and not touching the red disc.
Play then proceeds by placing further discs within the playing area, balanced, leaning, on the magnetic fields of preceding pieces. These pieces are known as 'leaners'. Moves which disrupt the pieces currently in play by making them fall or stick together are known as 'faults', and end a player's turn. If a fault results in two or more pieces touching each other, the opposing player then has an opportunity to capture those pieces by forming them into towers, which at the end of the game score points. Occasionally a player will intentionally fault, causing one of their own pieces to fall flat onto the play surface, thus making it easier to play further pieces.
The play ends when one player has exhausted their supply of pieces or if a piece touches the center red disc. The winner of the game is determined by points scored, which are based on the number of pieces in towers of a player's color, and the pieces remaining in the opponent's hand.
Reception
The game review site ''Tame the Board Game'' warned that "This isn't a quick game, and it does require a certain level of skill, dexterity and attention to play – at least, if you want to improve the way you play after getting your head round the rules." The review concluded, "Although it sounds complex, this game is easy to play after you've given yourself a few tries."
Awards
At the 2005
Origins Award
The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the game industry. They are presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for the previous year, so (for example) the 1979 aw ...
s, ''Polarity'' won a Vanguard Innovative Game Award.
References
External links
*
''Polarity''at
Bruno Faidutti
Bruno Faidutti (born 23 October 1961) is a historian and sociologist, living in France, who is best known as a board game designer.
Early life and education
Bruno Faidutti studied law, economics, and sociology, eventually earning a doctorate in H ...
's Ideal Games Library
''Polarity'' Wiki- has a meetup section to find other polarity players
Board games introduced in 1986
Canadian board games
Origins Award winners
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