- Publiser(s) : Allplay
- Designer(s) : Reiner Knizia
- Artist(s) : John Gravato, Atha Kanaani, Damien Mammoliti, Scott Nicely
- Players : 2–5
- Playing time : 45 Min
- Weight BGG : 2.16
What's this?
Through the Desert is a territory placement and control game by Reiner Knizia. Each player leads a Tuareg tribe and develops their camel caravans across the Sahara dunes, aiming to connect oases, secure water sources, and enclose vast areas of the desert.
How do you play?
In turn, a player places two camels of their color.
New camels must:
- To be placed next to a caravan of the same color.
- Respect the rules of the field.
- Never connect two caravans of different colors.
The different ways to score points
1. Water Point Tiles
When a caravan reaches a space containing a Water Point tile, the player immediately collects that tile. These tiles award points at the end of the game.
2. The oases
When a caravan reaches an oasis, the player immediately gains a 5-point Oasis tile. Oases often become highly coveted objectives.
3. Closed areas
When a player manages to completely surround an area of the desert with their caravans and terrain features, they close it off.
He then notes:
- The water points located inside.
- The enclosed oases.
- 1 point at the end of the game for each hexagon inside.
The closure of zones is often the main source of points.
4. The largest caravan
At the end of the game, each player scores 10 additional points for the longest caravan in each of the five colors.
End of game
The game ends when a player can no longer place the two required camels on their turn.
The players then add up:
- The collected water points.
- The oases have been recovered.
- The closed areas.
- The bonuses for the largest caravan.
The player with the most points wins.
Is it good?
You’ll need to constantly anticipate your opponents’ moves to avoid having your precious Water Point tokens stolen, while also keeping an eye out for passages that might be blocked by their caravans. It’s all about anticipation, calculation, and risk-taking: should you be greedy and aim for a large area, or secure a more modest gain before it’s too late?
In addition to this, there’s the race for majority bonuses, with 10 points awarded to the player with the largest caravan of each color. Interaction is ever-present: players block each other, compete for the best routes, and constantly try to anticipate their opponents’ intentions. Once the game begins, nothing happens by chance to disrupt established plans, fully rewarding planning, anticipation, and reading the opponent’s moves.
On the downside, its highly abstract nature won’t appeal to players seeking deep thematic immersion. The game remains very strategic and relatively detached in its feel. You won’t necessarily find any spectacular moments or “wow” factor, but rather the pleasure of constant thought and subtle interaction. It also takes a little getting used to quickly identifying the different caravans on the board, especially during the first few games. Finally, while the game works well with two players, it truly shines with three or four.
Through the Desert is a game I wholeheartedly recommend to fans of classic abstract games. Its mechanical elegance, strategic depth, and constant player interaction make it a game that remains just as effective despite the years.
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Through the Desert Review
Positives
- Simple rules, accessible in a few minutes
- Constant interaction between players (blockages, disputes over passage)
- Elegant and refined mechanics
- No element of chance
Negatives
- Very abstract theme
- Sensations that were sometimes cold
- Identifying the caravans can sometimes be tricky during the early stages
- Less interesting with 2 players
