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Kanaloa box art
2001 Ranked #14,323

Kanaloa

An island-travel strategy game has players collect fruit and offer it to gods for powerful assistance. Movable fish control routes between islands, while divine powers enable theft, disruption, and better harvests.

Nautical Set Collection Theme: Tropical

Players

2-4

Play time

Not listed

Age

8+

Complexity

2.5/5

Rating

6.35

Harder to teach Highly interactive Deep strategy

Overview

At a glance

Is this game right for my group?

ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.

Teachability 2.3/5

Harder to teach

Replay value 3.9/5

High replayability

Interaction 3.7/5

Highly interactive

Player scaling 4.0/5

Scales well

Strategic depth 4.5/5

Deep strategy

See all 5 specifications

How it plays

How does it play?

Two to four players go from island to island to pick up different fruit to give to the gods. Between the islands are fish to move in one direction (to the fish's mouth).

Core mechanisms

Key systems that shape the decisions players make.

Read the full game description

Two to four players go from island to island to pick up different fruit to give to the gods. Between the islands are fish to move in one direction (to the fish's mouth). One side of a fish shows the player's color (only this player may move) the other no color (any player may move). After every move the fish is turned to the other color. The gods help the player who gives the most fruit; to move (turn direction or color of a fish), to steal (of course from another player), to determine a volcanic eruption (the players near the volcanic eruption lose a turn) or to pick up better fruit. The rules are developed from the theme (character of Hawaiian gods, building small stone temples), but it's not historical. The theme and design is similar to Kahuna / Arabana-Ikibiti, but it is more for gamers than for families, and does not require the building of connections. Confusingly, Tilsit re-named another game by Günter Cornett with a similar island-theme Kanaloa in 2003, but it is different, and more closely related to Kahuna. 3rd Place 2001 Hippodice Spieleautorenwettbewerb.

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Category

1

Mechanism

1

Family

1

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Editions

Language and publisher variants currently recorded in the catalog.

Edition Year Language Publisher / Region
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Player resources

Rulebooks, player aids, FAQs, and solo resources.

No files imported yet.

Game and edition data

All specifications (5)

Play and group

Players
2–4
Best with
2
Play time
90 min
Age
8+
Complexity
2.5/5
Credits and catalog connections

Credits

Designers

1
Günter Cornett

Artists

2
Carsten Fuhrmann Claudius Schönherr

Publishers

1
Bambus Spieleverlag

Linked items

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