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In Tonga Bonga, the race is on to become the richest shipowner in the archipelago—but it’s not as easy as it sounds. Success requires hiring the best sailors, but they don’t come cheap! The challenge lies in balancing your investments and managing your crew wisely. Who among you has the sharpest strategy to outpace the competition and return to Tonga Bonga with the most coins in your chest and sailors still eager to sail?
👥 3-4 players, ages 14+
⌛ Playing time: 45 minutes
📝 Designers: Stefan Dorra
🎨 Artwork: Wanjin Gill & Shin Jonghun
🏢 Publisher: Playte (Review copy provided)
Gameplay Overview
In Tonga Bonga, your goal is to sail from island to island, build four camps on different islands, and return to the main island of Tonga Bonga—all while trying to keep as much money as possible. The game is played over several rounds, each broken into four distinct phases.
In the first phase, players decide how much they’re willing to pay the sailors they want to hire. Next, in phase two, players roll their dice, which represent these sailors. After rolling, they’ll place their dice onto opponents’ ships, keeping in mind that you can reroll—but at a price. Be wary of the seasick sailor dice face, though! These sailors are too sick to work and can’t be placed. When dice are placed on a ship, they’re ordered from high to low, meaning sailors with lower dice rolls end up with the less desirable, lower-paying spots. This system creates a bit of tension as you watch your opponents decide how far you can travel.
Once all dice are placed, the sailing phase begins. Players take turns moving their ships according to the total value of the dice placed on them. As you sail, you’ll aim to reach an island mooring space where you can set up camp. The first player to place a camp on an island earns 25 coins. Players who arrive later also receive 25 coins, but they must pay 5 coins to each player who has already settled on that island.
After sailing, players collect wages based on where their dice were placed. Then, a new round begins, with the first player’s ship moving to the back of the line, giving the next player a chance to lead. The game continues until one player successfully builds camps on four different islands and returns to Tonga Bonga.
In the end, it’s all about the money. The player with the most wealth when the game finishes is crowned the richest and wins Tonga Bonga.
Game Information
Tonga Bonga is a creation by Stefan Dorra, a designer well-known for his hit games like For Sale, Medina, and Triqueta, to name a few. First published in 1998 by the German publisher Ravensburger, this classic has now made a comeback thanks to the South Korean publisher Playte, with a new edition in English and Korean. It’s a family-friendly game designed for 3 to 4 players (and trust us, it truly shines with four!), with a recommended age of 14+. However, we think that might be a bit of a stretch—it’s easily playable by kids 10 and up. Each game runs about 45 minutes, giving you just enough time for a fun, fast-paced adventure.
Components and Artwork
Playte’s edition of Tonga Bonga comes with some interesting features. The game board pulls double duty, acting as both the playing surface and the box, thanks to its magnetic closing mechanism. As for the components themselves, they’re functional and attractive, if not groundbreaking. The dice (which represent sailors), wooden ship pieces, and various cardboard tokens are well-made and get the job done. The artwork by Shin Jonghun and Wanjin Gill fits the game’s playful vibe but doesn’t exactly stand out in today’s world of hyper-detailed, eye-popping board game art. It’s simple, clean, and keeps the focus where it should be—on the gameplay.
Gameplay and Strategy
Tonga Bonga offers lighthearted fun mixed with some thoughtful decision-making. Strategically setting the salaries for your sailors (depicted by dice) plays a crucial role in the game. Offering higher wages can help you attract better dice rolls from your opponents, but it comes at the cost of your hard-earned coins. It’s a fun balancing act as you weigh the cost of spending against the necessity of keeping up with the race.
When the dreaded ‘seasick sailor’ face appears, it means the dice are unusable for your opponents’ ships, hindering their progress while also cutting your potential earnings. It’s a hilarious twist that can turn the tide—literally. It’s a reminder that in Tonga Bonga, even the dice can’t always be trusted to stay steady on deck! Rerolling is always an option, but it’s going to cost you, and in a game where managing your money is crucial, you’ll need to decide whether it’s worth the gamble. It’s a fun tactical challenge that will keep you thinking a few steps ahead, especially when you realize that not every high roll is beneficial—sometimes, those lower rolls might just be the trick to slow down your opponents without missing out on valuable income.
Player Interaction
Player interaction is at the heart of Tonga Bonga, with much of the game revolving around how players place dice on each other’s ships. It creates plenty of tension, as every move your opponent makes can derail your best-laid plans. Watching your opponent gleefully place a low roll on your ship as you desperately eye an island just out of reach creates the kind of tension that only a game built on mutual sabotage can provide. Each player’s moves are interconnected, so while you’re racing to be the first to build camps on islands, you can’t ignore how other players’ dice will affect your progress.
Another fun twist is how narrow some of the routes are, forcing you to spend extra movement points just to squeeze past another player’s ship. And just when you thought you’d hit it big by reaching an island, you’ll have to pay up to any opponents who arrived before you. These mechanics keep the competition lively, and the mix of luck and strategy leads to plenty of nail-biting decisions. The way players can either help or hinder each other’s movement keeps the game dynamic and full of surprises.
Balancing Luck and Strategy
Dice games are known for their element of chance, and Tonga Bonga is no different. However, the ability to reroll dice or aim for lower values adds a bit of brainpower to the mix. While you don’t always want high rolls—since those would help your opponents move faster—you also don’t want your dice to end up in low-paying spots, costing you precious coins. The game strikes a nice balance between rolling high for income and low for sabotaging your opponents, making every decision count.
Final Thoughts
We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Tonga Bonga. It’s a refreshing change from some of the more complex games we usually play, and its blend of fresh mechanics and classic gameplay makes it a standout in its own way. The way your ship’s movement is influenced by your opponents’ dice brings a neat twist that’s not commonly seen in other games. While the rules are fairly straightforward, there’s more depth to the strategy than meets the eye.
The game is full of fun moments, whether it’s deciding how much to pay to entice the best dice rolls or carefully plotting your course to avoid paying too many coins to rivals. We found the game highly enjoyable and recommend it as a solid family game with plenty of player interaction. It’s a great choice for game nights, offering a mix of luck, strategy, and friendly competition.
📝 We received a copy of Tonga Bonga from Playte for review.
And, if you happen to be at Spiel Essen 2024, be sure to check out Playte at Booth 5H410, where you can see the game for yourself and even grab a copy!
