- Publisher(s) : Don't Panic Games
- Auteur(s) : James Firnhaber
- Artist(s) : Denis Freitas
- Players : 1–4
- Playing time : 60 Min
- Weight BGG : 2.40
What's this?
Players embody the world’s best scientists, assembled to neutralize this threat. Their mission? Extract, calibrate, manipulate, and contain the dice from this Tesseract before it tears apart space-time. A game of puzzles, tension, and anticipation, a cross between Pandemic and an unstable Rubik’s Cube.
How do you play?
To win, you must fill the 24 squares of the Confinement board with one die of each value (1 to 6) and each color . You lose if:
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A 7th breach occurs.
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The last die is removed from the Tesseract.
🔄 A game round is divided into two phases:
🧪 1. Action Phase (player’s turn)
Each player performs 3 of the following actions , in any order (and can repeat them):
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Collect : Remove a removable die from the Tesseract (with at least 3 visible faces) and place it in its lab.
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Calibrate : Increase or decrease the value of a die (in the lab or the priming area). A 1 can become a 0 and be destroyed.
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Transfer : Move a die between two labs.
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Study : Exchange a level N Research card to draw a higher level one.
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Confine : Create a valid sequence or series of dice (e.g., 2-3-4 red, or three 5-value dice) to place one on the Confinement board.
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Dig Deeper : Use your Scientist’s special action.
⚠️ Confining a die can destroy an identical die in the priming zone and allows, if the remaining dice are re-rolled, to obtain a new Research card.
⚠️ 2. Threat Phase
At the end of the turn, the Tesseract wakes up:
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We start a new die: we take the lowest removable die in height and value, we throw it, then we place it in the starting zone.
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If 3 or more dice of the same value are there → 1 breach .
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If there are 6 or more → 2 breaches .
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If an event is revealed (by removing a cube from a complete column), its effect (often harmful) is applied immediately.
Is it good?
The first thing that strikes you when you put the game on the table is its very visual material: an imposing cube made up of 64 colored dice, installed on a rotating platform.
The game features a unique mechanic centered around these multicolored dice, which you can use in different ways by picking and manipulating them from the giant cube. You’ll need to extract, calibrate, and contain them to avoid losing the game. Tesseract is a cooperative game in which collaboration between players is essential, with a healthy dose of collective planning. The characters’ asymmetrical abilities add a real boost to this coordination.
Although the game is not particularly difficult, a certain tension mounts as the Tesseract empties of its dice and events sometimes unfavorably chain together, particularly in the priming zone, occur.
Negative points include a possible leader effect, risks of analysis paralysis, and gameplay that can become a bit repetitive after several games.
In summary, Tesseract is a unique cooperative game, both in its dice manipulation and its visual impact. It’s a great experience for those looking for an accessible and immersive cooperative challenge.
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Tesseract Review
Positives
- Spectacular equipment (64-dice cube on rotating platform)
- Original dice manipulation mechanics
- Good cooperation and planning between players
- Increasing tension during the game
- Strategic puzzle
Negatives
- Risk of leader effect
- Possible paralysis analysis
- A little bit of chance
- It remains very abstract.
- Gameplay can become repetitive over time
Breakdown
- Edition 9.5
- Mechanics 8.0
- Thematic 5.5
- Replayability 7.5
- Getting started 8.5
- Interaction 8.5
- Originality 8.5
