Patterns: A Mandala Game Review - Can the Sequel Be Even Better?

[@TheGameBoyGeeks]

I hope you like the review!

[@mazmo_]

yes thank you for this great review, was fun to watch :)

[@jameskirk4692]

How can we not like it?! 😀 You make them so interesting and useful, easy to understand and interesting pleasant to watch. Great quality! Well done!

[@lookoutspiele9135]

Hello, Dan! Thanks for your enthusiastic presentation. You are spot on with Patterns: A Mandala Game! We recommend this game for skilled strategists.

[@TheGameBoyGeeks]

You’re welcome! I hope you’re making more Mandala games!

[@lookoutspiele9135]

ah, the designers have some more goodies up in there sleeves,@@TheGameBoyGeeks : 2024 we will be launching FLOWERS: A Mandala Game, which allows you to play Mandala with 2-4 players, finally. :)

[@ekurisona663]

dan you turned me onto mandala 1 - thank you forever for that - it's one of my all time favorites

[@TheGameBoyGeeks]

That’s awesome to hear!

[@origenward3845]

Wow this looks amazing! Just played a second game of Mandala and really like it but this one looks like it plays like a top tier Knitzia game. Maybe even better😳

[@jefff.2052]

Looks interesting, although the original Mandala is one of my all time favorite evergreen-type games. I don't think it will replace what I like about it, but I'd like to give it a try. I don't usually fare as well in deterministic area-control type situations. I'm just not good at those.

[@elqord.1118]

Agreed. Mandala plays fast and doesn’t invite AP. This could

[@TheGameBoyGeeks]

The area control in this feels very different because you’re not just necessarily taking an area from them because you can only swap with a color you own next to that color. You can definitely split up one of their growing areas with a new color though so there’s is definitely a lot of strategies here

[@DanielTheSexiest]

Great review and I thought you said you would like Patterns more (I do personally, mainly because it has no luck).

[@jrobinson5053]

I haven't played Mandala, but have Great Plains, by the same people. I really like that game. I prefer spatial games to card games, so will probably like this. Any comparison to this to Great Plains? Also, someone compared Patterns to Through the Desert.

[@DanielTheSexiest]

I haven't played Great Plains but would like to and wonder how this compares as well. Patterns doesn't feel like Through the Desert at all. The only similarities are both have no luck, simple rules, and making color groups next to each other. I love both Patterns and Through the Desert and if I had to only pick one it would probably be Through the Desert, but they are both essential games. The closest I would compare Patterns to is actually probably Hey, That's My Fish! in terms of it's deceiving viciousness. But Patterns really feels wholly unique.

[@TheGameBoyGeeks]

I think the area control in Great Plains (which I also enjoy) is much more straight forward. You can see where you are they can go and what likely is going to happen. It’s still Great gangs but the feeling is different than Patterns. Here it’s a lot harder to see what they might be doing next as some of the best moves take multiple turns to setup. So there is a lot more depth Here and More intrigue as to what you could be up to.

[@diamondmeeple]

Already bought it. Not played it yet.

[@EltWilder]

Hmm.

[@jaykenigsberg2162]

Mandela fan but I’ll take a pass on this. Seems like too much work.

[@DanielTheSexiest]

It’s a great game. The rules like Mandala is super simple but tons to strategy. And unlike Mandala Patterns has no luck. I love Mandala but Patterns is even better. If you are a Mandala fan you are really missing out. I highly recommend giving it a chance.

[@jameskirk4692]

Thank you for the review of this game. I never tried Mandala, but was fascinated by it. I am even more intrigued by this sequel to it, which is more likely for me to try it and like it more. This concept in the sequel feels more understandable and more appealing to me, this way without playing them myself. I can't wait to try. I appreciate so much that this and most of your reviews are so detailed and you spend time and effort to explain multiple positive and negative points of the game which you found in your experiences. It's so useful and interesting to hear such specific aspects. Thank you for the great work you are continuing to successfully do.🫡

[@TheGameBoyGeeks]

I’m glad you enjoyed the video James! Let me know what you thought of it when you get Chance to play it!