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Board games have been around for centuries, long before we were trading wood for sheep or arguing over house rules in Monopoly. The LUDOS collection by Lemery Games is all about reviving those ancient classics, giving them a fresh look while keeping their original gameplay intact.
After exploring Asia and Africa, this latest installment takes us to America, featuring four historical two-player games from Chile, Guatemala, Hawaii, and the American Southwest. Each game comes with beautiful wooden components, vibrant colors, and game mats that make them feel more alive than ever.
And here’s something to get excited about: the LUDOS America Kickstarter campaign launches March 17th. If you love abstract strategy games or just enjoy discovering games with a bit of history, you’ll definitely want to check it out.
Now, let’s take a look at the games themselves. These are classics for a reason, and once you start playing, you’ll see why people have been enjoying them for generations.
Awithlaknannai – The Battle of the Snakes
Awithlaknannai has its roots in Native American tribes, and its name translates to “fighting snakes.” If you think that sounds intense, well, you’re not wrong.
Both players control a group of snakes moving along pre-printed lines on the board. The goal is simple: jump over your opponent’s pieces to capture them. And there’s a catch, because if you can capture, you must.
At the start, it’s a chaotic back-and-forth, with pieces disappearing left and right. But as the board clears up, things get tactical. Every move matters, and one wrong step could cost you the game. In the end, only one snake species survives.
Kõnane – Hawaii’s Take on Chess (With More Jumping!)
Originally played in Hawaii with lava rock, coral, and seashells, Kõnane is all about clever movement and trapping your opponent. In this version, the pieces are wooden discs decorated with hibiscus and jasmine, which definitely makes the game look a bit more relaxing… at least until things start to heat up.
The board starts completely full except for one open space. Players take turns jumping over their opponent’s pieces to capture them, moving only in straight lines. If you can chain multiple captures in the same direction, even better.
Here’s where it gets tricky: you have to jump if you can, and if you run out of moves, that’s it. Game over. It’s a simple concept, but once you get into it, you’ll realize just how sneaky you need to be to trap your opponent first.
Puluc – The Mayan Battle Game
Puluc comes from the ancient Mayan civilization and was originally played to represent real-life battles between rivaling tribes. No pressure or anything.
Each player controls a team of warriors trying to cross the board and invade enemy territory. To move, you roll four wooden pieces designed to look like corn kernels, each with a marked and unmarked side. The number of marked sides that land face-up determines how far you can go.
If you land on an opponent’s piece, you stack it on top and take them as a prisoner. But prisoners don’t just sit there. They can be recaptured and moved back and forth between players like an ancient game of hot potato. The winner is the one who captures all their opponent’s warriors first. So basically, it’s conquest in board game form.
Komikan – The Hunt Is On!
Komikan is a traditional game from the Mapuche people of Argentina and Chile, and it’s a classic predator-versus-prey showdown. One player takes on the role of the puma, while the other controls the alpacas.
The puma’s goal is to hunt down and capture six alpacas by jumping over them. The alpacas, meanwhile, have no way to fight back directly, but they have the numbers. Their strategy is all about survival, either by trapping the puma so it can’t move or by working together to occupy all seven spaces in the puma’s den, effectively claiming victory by sheer presence.
It’s an intense game of cat-and-mouse (or rather, puma-and-alpaca), and every move counts. One wrong step and suddenly your herd is in trouble. But if the alpacas move carefully, they might just outmaneuver their hungry opponent.
Our Thoughts
LUDOS America is a fantastic way to experience games that have stood the test of time. There’s something special about playing a game that people were enjoying centuries ago, knowing that even back then, they were trying to outthink their opponent just like you are now.
The gameplay across all four games is easy to pick up but packed with strategy. You don’t need a history degree to appreciate them, but if you enjoy learning about different cultures through play, this collection is a great way to do it.
One of the best things about the LUDOS Kickstarter campaigns is the flexibility. You can pick up just one game in a travel pouch at the “Pay What You Want” pledge level, which is perfect if you’re curious but not ready to commit to the full set. Or, if you’re like me and want the complete experience, you can grab the full Collector’s Box and get into all four games.
The Kickstarter campaign launches on March 17th, so if this sounds like your kind of thing, now’s the time to check it out: Kickstarter link
📝 We received a preview copy from Lemery Games.
