Foxmind Abalone

I purchased this game for my two pre-teen children and myself to enjoy. One of my kids loves chess, but none of us makes a good match to play against him. This game is much easier to understand and think through strategy on for the rest of us in the family, so it's an excellent, inclusive alternative. It was very easy to learn, and while I generally prefer watching the rules to new games on YouTube for simplicity's sake, I did not need to do that for this game. The instructions were clear and easy and we have enjoyed several rounds of this already after owning it for 2 days. My kids are also very texture-sensitive, and the smooth game pieces are very satisfying for them to "click" around from place to place on the board (it's not a real click, the ball just settles very nicely into the spots). It's also got excellent packaging with a nice, sturdy storage box with the perfect spots to store the pieces. Not everyone cares about those details, but we certainly noticed them! How nice when your children look forward to putting the game away when they're done! An all-around fun game I kept in my shopping cart for far too long prior to purchasing!

I have many, many table top games (70+). I bought this one on an impulse and I have to say, its one of the best abstract strategy games I have ever played. It's a wonderful balance between being deep enough to be interesting and being light enough to keep moving and never get dull.The game feels like you are in a sumo wrestler ring or something trying to separate and push the other team's player out of the ring. The components in this game are AMAZING from a tactile point of view. Big glass balls that go "clack" when you push them and push very easily. It/'s fun to hear and to feel, as well as to think about.My only bone with this game is a very small one: the box is sloped for no reason. This means it doesn't stack nicely with other board games on the shelf. Really annoying. The game itself is beyond reproach.This is a simple but very special game.

Great abstract strategy game. I like it best with four players (two teams of two; rules can be found online). Too bad Abalone Quattro is hard to get, but the same board can be used if one adds marbles of different colors for the third and fourth players. I did not find them on Amazon but ordered mine from Moon Marble and they work great. I bought blue and orange colored ones: (3) Van Gogh Cobbles are opaque blue with swirls of yellow on the surface. These marbles come in packs of 12 marbles. They are approximately 22mm or 7/8" in diameter and usually range between 20 - 23mm in diameter. (4) Redbeard Cobbles are opaque orange with fine swirls of white on the surface. These marbles come in packs of 12 marbles. They are approximately 22mm or 7/8" in diameter and usually range between 20 - 23mm in diameter.

I love Abalone and have loved it for decades since playing tons of games with my dad.It's a great strategy game that plays different every time.I bought the new version in a rectangular box for Christmas as a present to my friend's son who loved the game.The game is still great but the box is much worse. With a square box, the board is much smaller as is the marbles. The marbles are also harder to get out and put back.I wish I spent a bit more money and got the hexagonal box. If it's like the old version, there is a much larger board and marbles. Although I think the board has the same number of hexes. I don't know why they made the redesign. Still a great game though.

If you like abstract strategy games (i.e. Go), you'll probably enjoy this. Simple rules with the possibility for a lot of depth. I don't play it often though,unfortunately, because my partner tends to like games with complicated mechanics and cards.That being said, the box design is inexplicably stupid. It's slanted and trapezoidal, meaning that if you put games on top of it they won't be flat. There are no components that would require this shape. My personal conspiracy theory around why the designers made it this way is to force people to put the game on the top of their shelf so they have to deal with it more often (I don't actually believe this, but what other explanation is there??).

Abalone seems to be quite a unique game. While I won't go into the rules, the object of the game is to knock six of your opponents marbles into the gutter that surrounds the play area. You do this by pushing up to three of your marbles at a time across the spaces in the board. The rules are a little confusing the first time you read them, but as soon as you start playing they make sense and, after the second game, you won't need the rulebook anymore.My eight-year-old brother took well to this game, once we had played a little bit. He beat me during the second game!All in all, I say buy this game, but there are a few things to know first.1. The board is made of plastic. It is heavy enough, I'm not too concerned about it breaking or anything, but the game isn't classically beautiful and I'm assuming it's not going to last forever. (I like to think of everything as a potential heirloom. If it won't make it to that point, I don't like buying it.)2. The marbles are made of glass and they're the size of the large shooter marbles you used to have when you were a kid. I am so glad that the marbles weren't plastic!3. The package is slanted, as you can see in the picture. If you've got a closet full of games that are already trying to fall out, like I do, then this game may pose some storage challenges. (Maybe that's an added game?)So, like I said, buy this game! It's fantastic and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!