Work together to guide your expedition dice through a 3D temple. Can you meet all the goals before running out of cards, or will the temple defeat you?
A short, family-friendly game, Temple Twist is a 1-4 player game by Bernhard Weber that takes boardgame board design in an entirely different direction.
Getting hands on
I love a tactile game, so where I realized that I could have a 3D temple that requires frequent spinning and reconfiguring, I was happy. The temple is sturdy and pretty, with the tokens actually being the punched-out pieces of the temple; a detail which is delightfully economical and non-wasteful. When constructed, the temple also fits nicely back into the box behind the thematic cardboard divider (although sadly the tokens and cards do move around a lot).
And as for this guy, what’s not to like?
Meet Slimy!
Gameplay
Prettiness and design quality aside, how does Temple Twist play? There are multiple modes to choose from, each with increasing difficulty. In each, you distribute a number of cards between players that will enable you to rotate or modify the temple. You must get your expedition dice to randomly selected sections of the temple before reaching a specified door, possibly with advanced conditions (depending on the mode that you play).
This is a tactical game, and requires players to work together – or solo – to meet assigned goals before cards run out. It is also very quick. There are no real penalties for ‘failing’, with play continuing with additional cards, making this a very child-friendly game.
Visit the red hall and diamond room, before exiting through the vine door!
The Challenge Cards impose interesting constraints that add to the challenge, and the Expedition mode chains goals into multiple expeditions.
Final thoughts
Temple Twist is a good family option, with opportunities for children to develop spatial reasoning and co-operative play. When played with just adults, the shortness and lack of penalty for ‘failing’ can feel a little lacklustre, even if the puzzle aspect of Temple Twist can be engrossing. Adults might be more likely to get most satisfaction out of the later modes, or might enjoy cycling the puzzles in solo mode.
The design is gorgeous, and the use of materials economical. Some might argue for better visual distinction between the temple quadrants, as the repetition of symbols – whilst producing a cohesive design – can be unhelpful for those struggling with colour. That said, the individual cards do provide a lot of clues which window they refer to.
If you are searching for a light and gorgeously-made family game that’s just a bit different, Temple Twist is worth consideration.
