Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
The Battle of Red Cliffs is a revamped edition of Tien Zi Que, the Mahjong card game, for 1-9 players. Like Mahjong, each game plays over several rounds as players collect sets of cards.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Open Drafting
Select cards or items from a shared face-up display.
Set Collection
Gather related items that become more valuable when scored together.
Hand Management
Time and sequence a limited hand of cards to preserve future options.
Team-Based Game
Players compete in fixed teams and coordinate toward a shared team result.
Read the full game description
The Battle of Red Cliffs is a revamped edition of Tien Zi Que, the Mahjong card game, for 1-9 players. Like Mahjong, each game plays over several rounds as players collect sets of cards. What makes TZQ/BRC unique is that when players collect sets, they save a card from each one to form a Master Set that is used for scoring at the end of the round (when one player has five score cards). Players want to make sure the cards they save will score well because if they don't score enough points to get to the next score level, they will fall back to the previous one. Players can also "Peng" to form a set at the beginning of any player's turn, use Command cards to gain a unique advantage, and play in teams of two or three to add to the fun. Reimplements Tien Zi Que