“Pingvinas” is an intriquing turn-based board game of sorts. You play as one of several penguins, and each time you jump from an ice hex to another hex, the first hex disappears. Your goal is to block your opponents into small areas (where they’ll inevitably run out of ice to jump on to) so that you can ultimately grab more fish than them.
It’s a simple enough mechanic, but the game does a good job with it. Some ice hexes have more fish than others, so do you go for the big fish hauls or for the most strategic moves to block your opponent? You control multiple penguins simultaneously, do you have each one go for the biggest paydays near them, or do you move them in concert to defeat the enemy?
There’s even an auto speed-up mechanic that kicks in when each area has been isolated to a specific player, which quickly has the penguins jump through each remaining hex racking up the points, which keeps games fast and fluid. Graphics are attractive with a 3D look, and it supports 1-4 offline players and online multiplayer for up to 4 players. An neat 80 Microsoft Point game that I enjoyed.
Here’s what the developer (Mobisation Germany) has to say about the game:
“You are near the South Pole. Your penguins jump across ice floes, trying to block your opponent and hunt as much fish as possible. The player with the most fish wins. Play against computer opponents, multiplayer on one machine or online using XBox LIVE.”
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