Patchwork (Revised Edition)

Description

Patchwork — Sew the perfect quilt and become the Button Master

Brief pitch
Piece together a quilt with no holes to score big in this elegant two-player strategy game. Fast to learn, deep to master — Patchwork is a polished tactical duel of placement, timing, and resource management.

Game at a glance

Players: 2
Play time: 15–30 minutes
Ages: 8+
Key mechanics: Grid coverage, Income, Open drafting, Rondel, Square grid

What makes Patchwork great

A clever blend of spatial puzzle and economic timing: buy patches, manage buttons (currency and points), and race along the time track to claim extra turns and income.
Compact, satisfying two-player experience that plays quickly but rewards long-term planning.
Beautiful, family-friendly theme with high replayability and tight head-to-head competition.

Components & setup essentials

Personal 9×9 game board for each player
Circular display of patch tiles (place patches at random in a circle) with a spool marker positioned directly clockwise of the 2‑1 patch
Time tracks and five 1×1 patch spaces on the time track (place five 1×1 patches during setup)
Buttons as currency and scoring tokens

How to play (core flow)

On your turn, you choose one of two actions: purchase one of the three patches immediately clockwise of the spool, or pass.
To purchase a patch:
- Pay the button cost printed on the patch.
- Move the spool to that patch’s spot in the circle.
- Place the patch on your 9×9 board without overlapping existing patches.
- Advance your time token along the time track by the patch’s time value.
- If your time token is now behind or on top of your opponent’s token, you take another turn; otherwise play passes to your opponent.
To pass:
- Move your time token to the space immediately in front of your opponent’s token.
- Take one button from the bank for each space you moved (button income for passing).
Button income: Whenever your time token passes a button symbol on the central time track, you earn income equal to the total number of buttons currently on your personal board.

Special rules & scoring opportunities

Time track 1×1 patches: The five 1×1 patches placed on the time track are claimed by the first player whose time token passes them, then immediately placed on their board, filling an empty space.
7×7 bonus: The first player to fully occupy a 7×7 square on their board earns a +7 point bonus tile at game end (not guaranteed every game).
Final income: When a player moves onto the central square of the time track, they take one last button income from the bank.
Game end: The game concludes when both players reach the center of the time track. Players then score:
- 1 point per button in their possession
- Minus 2 points for each empty space on their board
- The player with the highest score wins; scores can be negative!