We build bridges and seize territory on the Polynesian islands. Kahuna Game Review
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KAHUNA REVIEW
Kahuna is a Polynesian themed territory control game that consists of 3 rounds. The action takes place in an archipelago consisting of 12 islands, and you fight to control more islands than your opponent. Each island is connected to each other by 3 to 6 bridges. Players gain control of an island by owning most of its bridges. Gaining majority control of an island causes all of your opponents' bridges on that island to be destroyed.
PREPARATION FOR THE GAME
To start the game, each player is dealt 3 cards (hand limit 5 cards). An additional 3 cards are placed on the table face up, and the remaining cards form a drawing pile.
GAME PROCESS
On their turn, each player draws as many cards as they wish, with each card representing a separate island in the chain. They will place a bridge token connecting this island to another. Bridges can also be destroyed by playing 2 cards from the same island or 2 cards connecting the bridge they want to destroy. The player then draws one of the face up cards or a card from the top of the deck to indicate that their turn is complete.
At the end of the first round, the player with the most islands gets 1 point. At the end of round 2, the player with the most islands gets 2 points. Finally, at the end of Round 3, the player with the most islands subtracts the opposing player's number of islands from their number and adds that number to their total score. The player with the most points wins.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT KAHUNA
First, let's talk about quality. The box is sturdy, bright and with the nice compact square box that many Kosmos games are known for. The insert keeps everything tight and strong. Each player receives a set of solid black or white wooden pieces (25 bridge tokens and 10 majority tokens). The parts are sturdy and should last many games. A total of 24 cards with a nice matte finish and thick that are not difficult to shuffle. Finally, the board is sturdy and just the right size to be placed on a table between two people.
The rules are well laid out with plenty of full color illustrations to cover any questions you may have. The cards have icons in each corner that correspond to the icons on the field. It helps to navigate the maps to find the islands more easily. In addition, the island whose card you have will be highlighted in red.
The gameplay is intense and quite competitive; this is not a two-player solitaire. At some point in the game, you will get your hands dirty; by directly attacking your opponent, taking cards you know they need, or destroying one of their bridges, causing their advantage to collapse or your advantage to strengthen.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
If you are dealt cards that are close together on the field, it is much easier to lock down 1, 2 or even 3 islands within the first few turns. It's not a sure win, but it sure makes it easier to get that first point. Due to the application of a unique scoring mechanism, this makes it difficult to win the overall game.
FINAL IMPRESSIONS
Kahuna is simply one of my favorite games. It is very tactical, as capturing one island can cause cascading effects by destroying your opponents' bridges. You have to think more in terms of web connections rather than linear progressions. It is quite common to be significantly behind, but it will not work to take the lead in just one or two moves. There are enough options to avoid randomness, but few enough to avoid analysis paralysis. If you like games for two, then Kahuna should definitely be in your collection.
