Step into the shoes of an intrepid desert traveler in Sand!
The golden age of human beings has long passed. No one remembers what was in this vast place, which people refer to only as the desert. A few brave travelers challenge the heat and dunes to transport goods between the last human communities, which survive among the ruins of ancient and splendid cities or in makeshift camps. Although the only objective of these travelers is to earn as much money as they can, at the same time and in a deliberate way, they are helping to bring life back to the desert by carrying small plants with them from the artificial greenhouses of the cities to the most remote corners of this ocean of sand.
Designed by Ariel di Costanzo and Javier Pelizzari and illustrated by Ernest Sala and Mado Peña, Sand can be enjoyed alone or in groups of up to 4 players, from 14 years old, in games of about 120 minutes. Ideal for experienced players or those craving a good challenge, Sand offers a lot of play in a small box. Through a main mechanic of pick up & deliver, the players' objective is to achieve the greatest fortune at the end of the game, selling goods in different places.
In Sand, the players will put themselves in the shoes of these desert travelers, going across the paths of the board and visiting the different towns. There, they will collect goods to deliver them to other places and thus earn gold for the transport service. Players will cross the dunes on the backs of their faithful caterpillars, which, if cared carefully, will grow, and help more effectively. Along the way, different and helpful companions will join the players and new missions will be assigned, that if completed, will bring good benefits at the end of the journey.
The components
As is usual in Devir's own production games, the box is full of high-quality components, designed to create the best gaming experience possible. The central board shows the different locations through which players will move: the port, at the top, and the cities, oases and camps above the desert. Different paths are shown between all these points: the established routes (gray and green) and the shortcuts (orange). It is a board full of details, both aesthetic and functional, where players will interact in search of the goods they most want.
On the other hand, each player will have a large personal board, like a logbook. Decorated with care, this board is produced with double-layer cardboard and has a die through which we will move different indicators and store resources. On the left side there are records of our caterpillar's care (hydration, food, and health), prestige and prayers. There is also the space where we will store our profits and a reminder of the trade rates. In the right half there are spaces for the action tokens, the delivery record and a space for the travel companion tiles that will be unlocked through the game. Everything you need to manage in a beautiful and orderly space!
One of the most striking and aesthetic components of the game is the dice pedestal. It is a structure that, once assembled, allows the results of the four dice to be displayed for all players to see. The dice are rolled only once each round, so this pedestal ensures that no chance hit will alter the outcome.
In addition to the boards, dice, and pedestal, Sand's box includes more than 110 goods cubes in different colours, a deck with 40 mission cards, a cloth bag, and a bunch of tokens and tiles.
How to play
A game of Sand is played over a series of rounds or travel days, which are divided into three phases: morning, afternoon and night. In each phase, players take their turn, in which they can do up to 8 different actions.
To carry out the different actions, each player will have four action tokens on their personal board. The action tokens represent the time spent doing the different actions in the game (and be careful, because time is limited!). Depending on their colour, the dice are associated with the different action tokens and serve to determine the type or power of the actions that can be performed.
Among the available actions, we have travel, carry plants, deliver goods, take care of the caterpillar, pray, gain prestige, compose songs or the special action of the acolytes. To move from one place to another on the map, we must do the action of traveling; To do this, depending on the route we take, we will have to pay a series of costs related to the health of our caterpillar. The action of loading plants, on the other hand, allows us to take this merchandise and store it on our caterpillar (at the risk of losing action capacity in the following turns!); Delivering goods will allow us to earn money for the goods we leave; Through the action of caring for the caterpillar we can feed it, give it water or heal its wounds; If we pray, we will obtain prayer points, which can be spent to momentarily increase the result of a die; gaining prestige will reward us with money when we deliver merchandise; composing songs will also bring us economic benefits; and finally the special action of the acolytes, which can only be carried out if we have the help of the shaman, will reward us with plants.
Each action has specific requirements related to the dice. For example, to load plants we must use the token of the corresponding color, regardless of its numerical value; To travel, however, the color is not relevant, but the number is: it must be equal to or greater than that indicated on our caterpillar tile.
Little by little, players will earn money with their transactions and unlock improvements: new companions with useful skills, a shelter to store goods, evolved versions of the caterpillar, etc. At the end of the game, in addition to the accumulated money, players will add additional money for completed missions, specialization seals, support for minor tribes or for songs they have composed.
There are a lot of options available and multiple ways to earn money. And if that weren't enough, Sand includes a series of traveler tokens, designed for more advanced games where players want to start with an asymmetry point. Each traveler has a unique ability that can guide the players' strategy towards certain decisions or actions.
Solo mode
For those who prefer a solo experience, Sand includes a challenge with three levels of difficulty. The player will face Alhazred, the codex writer. This wise man, who is determined to return the desert to its former glory, begins the game in a camp near the mountains and has a specific deck of cards, which serve to guide his movement.
The Kemushi Saga
The thematic setting of Sand is framed in the Kemushi Saga, a magical universe full of spirits in which the tension between chaos and order, the natural and the artificial, can be felt. The story of this wonderful saga is explained through several board games, some already published such as Bitoku, Bamboo. Yokai Sketch or Silk, and others still to come (like Daitoshi). All Kemushi Saga games share a thematic background and evocative art, which is inspired by aesthetic references such as Studio Ghibli productions.
Reserve your copy!
Do you want to try Devir's latest self-produced game? Do you like pick up & deliver type games or do you not know what they are want to know more about it? Do you want to enjoy a unique experience on the back of your favorite caterpillar? Run to your trusted store and reserve a copy of Sand before they run out!
