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Imagine being transported back to ancient Egypt, where the great pharaoh Mido has just announced a challenge: to build a pyramid so splendid that it would stand as a testament to his reign. This is the world of Pyramido, a game where you and your friends step into the sandals of the empire’s most skilled architects, competing to win the pharaoh’s favor by constructing the most magnificent pyramid.
👥 2-4 players, ages 8+
⌛ Playing time: 45 minutes
📝 Designer: Ikhwan Kwon
🎨 Artwork: The Creation Studio
🏢 Publisher: White Goblin Games (Dutch version, review copy provided) Originally published in English by Synapses Games.
How the Game Unfolds
Pyramido is played in four rounds, or building stages. Each round represents a new layer of your pyramid. The aim? To cleverly place your tiles and collect jewels, which are key to scoring points.
Pyramido’s gameplay is a twist on the classic domino game. As you begin your turn, you’ll select a domino tile from the quarry, which will form the basis of your pyramid. Unlike traditional domino rules, in Pyramido, the colors of adjacent tiles don’t need to match. However, a strategic twist comes into play: you’ll want to group tiles of the same color together.
When you place a tile with jewel symbols on it, you must also place a jewel on one side of the tile, if you can. This action plays a crucial role in how you score points. After placing a tile and potentially a jewel, you’ll replenish the quarry for the next player by choosing new tiles to add to the available selection.
Scoring and Winning
The pyramid grows until it forms a four-by-five grid. That’s when you’ll score points for the first time. You earn points based on the number of jewel symbols in large, single-color regions that contain at least one actual jewel. This encourages you to think ahead and plan your tile placement carefully.
After the scoring, you clear the jewels and start a new round, adding another layer to your pyramid. The challenge here is to remember that the jewels on the lower layers of your pyramid aren’t just forgotten; they count towards your score if they’re part of a visible, colored group that’s topped with a jewel at the end of the round.
Once you’ve gone through four rounds of building and scoring, the game ends. The player who has constructed the most impressive pyramid, shining with jewels, secures Pharaoh Mido’s favor—and with it, the sweet taste of eternal glory.
Pyramido is a family game designed by Ikhwan Kwon, who also brought us Alice’s Garden. If you’re familiar with that game, you’ll find Pyramido sits comfortably in the same space in terms of how it makes you think and engage. We got our hands on the Dutch edition from White Goblin Games for this review. Tailored for 2-4 players aged 8 and above, Pyramido comes with a gameplay duration of about 45 minutes.
Learning and Setup
One of the first things you’ll notice about Pyramido is how straightforward it is to get started. The rulebook is filled with pictures, making it easy to grasp the game’s flow within just 5 minutes—a big plus for families and friends eager to dive right in. Setting up the game is quick, too. The box comes with 90 domino tiles, bursting with colors. These tiles are the core of your gameplay, as you’ll be strategizing with them to win. The artwork and components do their job well, though they might not drop your jaw with awe. However, the custom wooden jewels add a nice touch, bringing a bit of elegance to your pyramid-building efforts.
How the Game Plays
Pyramido is all about laying tiles, building strategically, and scoring points with a bit of a twist in how you draft tiles. The person before you adds a tile to the three you have to choose from, pushing you to think ahead and plan your moves carefully. The game speeds up as it progresses since you’ll be placing fewer tiles in each round. This setup means you’ll lean heavily on your previous rounds’ strategies to score points.
Every player gets three double-sided cover tiles in two colors. These tiles, or “resurfacing cards,” are quite handy when you need to score with a specific color, but the right domino isn’t in sight. They can change a tile’s color, allowing for strategic jewel placement, and can be crucial for those looking to score big, especially toward the game’s end.
Though Pyramido might seem a bit like a solitary puzzle, there’s room for interaction. By choosing which pile to replenish the quarry from, you subtly influence the tile selection for the next player. You have to try to maximize your opportunities while possibly limiting those of your opponents. It’s a balancing act of building your pyramid while keeping an eye on others.
Final Thoughts
Pyramido is a thoughtful, engaging puzzle game with an extra layer (pun intended). Its approachable nature doesn’t sacrifice the depth of strategy, offering a satisfying challenge that will keep you on your toes. It’s a game that asks you to plan, adapt, and sometimes rethink your strategy based on your opponent’s actions. For those times when you’re in the mood for a thought-provoking puzzle without dedicating hours, Pyramido might just hit the sweet spot.
📝 A special thanks to White Goblin Games for giving us a chance to explore Pyramido.
