Elios proves that a minimalist board game can be as clever as it is elegant

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This week, we introduce you to Eliosan abstract and minimalist board game, but very clever!

What is a board game? Elios ?

Elios do not burden yourself with an abstruse theme that we would have no use for anyway. No, it goes to the essentials, with reduced material and very simple rules. And that’s more than enough to make it particularly pleasant to practice.

Accessible from 7 years old, for 2, 3 or 4 players (in teams of two in the latter case), it is the very archetype of the abstract game par excellence: extremely simple rules, sober material, but depth and an interest that is revealed as the games progress.

Published by Helvetiq, Eliosis a game by Philippe Proux, illustrated by Katie Burk and Ajša Zdravković, and sold at the price of €20.95 at Philibert.

How to play Elios?

Set up

The wooden material is basic, composed only of yellow discs which represent the sun, and around forty small battens, divided into eight different colors, representing its rays.

At the start of the game, place two discs on top of each other in the center of the table, and place a ray of each color all around.

Then each player receives the same number of rays, drawn at random from the bag.

The end of the setup overlaps with the start of the game, since each player must separate their rays into groups of one to three elements.

The game can begin.

Progress of a game

The goal of the game is to get rid of all of its rays. To do this, you perform one of three possible actions on your turn.

The most common is to place one of its groups of battens. The second action is simply to increase the height of the sun by adding a disk. Finally, the last action consists of separating one of its groups into two.

As you can imagine, some constraints are imposed:

we can only place a ray on another of the same color;
all the rays of the group must be placed on the same level;
no ray can exceed the height of the sun.

The first player (or the first team in a four-player game) to get rid of all their rays wins the game.

Why play Elios ?

After the excellent K3we find the same team (same author, same editor) for Elios . Suffice to say that the game started off under good auspices… and we were not disappointed.

In fact, we even prefer the latter to its predecessor. Or maybe it’s just the effect of the novelty associated with the many parts of K3.

StillEliospresents the same qualities as its big brother.

Here again, you will have to be opportunistic and plan your choices carefully. You should not hesitate to delay, to block your opponents, and somehow force their next move. The most important thing is not to find yourself out of time, and to spend your turns subject to the opponent’s choices.

What we like about this abstract game

We particularly appreciate the fact that the game works just as well, regardless of the number of players, while presenting different sensations depending on the configuration.

Very strategic for two, a little more chaotic for four as a team (especially if you forbid yourself from communicating between teammates), and particularly vicious for three. Even if this last configuration can necessarily lead, from time to time, to situations of “kingmaking» (a player, certain of not being able to win, gives victory to one opponent to the detriment of the other).

If the simplicity of the rules is ideal for introducing someone, or playing as a dilettante, without taking the lead, note however that aficionados of abstract games could be left wanting more.

Eliosis one more example which proves that it is not necessary to deploy a riot of equipment to make a good game (we see the crowdfunding stuffed with plastic which is of no use). It’s simple, quick, and smart as hell. Better yet, it’s stylish. In addition, its simple rules and short games make it an ideal candidate for introducing yourself, or someone, to abstract games, a somewhat separate category in the host of existing games.