"Chinese lanterns"

2015 · 2-4 Players · ~30 min · Competitive

Lanterns: The Harvest Festival blends tile laying and set collection into a clean, accessible package that keeps all players involved on every turn. The orientation mechanic, where every tile placement distributes cards to the entire table based on which color faces each player, gives the game an interactive quality that many tile-laying games lack. A reliance on luck and a tendency toward analysis paralysis in later rounds hold it back from greatness, and experienced groups may find the strategic ceiling lower than they'd like. For families and mixed groups looking for a pretty, quick, and easy-to-teach game with a gentle competitive edge, Lanterns fills that role well.