The great big game in the teeny-weeny tin
Iota is a cute little game in a tiny tin with a logo that reminds me of Google. Minimal design, solid colors, numbers, shapes; as a software engineer, I was immediately sucked in. Iota can fit right in your pocket! This game is less than ten dollars, so it was a must-have to add to my collection.
In Iota, players take turns trying to place as many cards in their hand onto the table following a strict set of guidelines. Every quality about the card must be the same, or every quality must be different. There are three qualities of a card: shape, color, and number. When placing two cards down, for each quality, make sure they are both the same or different (i.e., both cards are circles, but one is red and one is blue, but they are both the number four).
The cards are played in a crossword-style pattern which may or may not invade your play area depending on where players find patterns that score the most points. Points are scored for every card played and every other card those cards are adjacent to. The game gets more intricate as it goes on, as you need to adhere to the rules for all cards that touch the ones you played on your turn.
Mechanics: Pattern, Abstract, Tile placement, Card
ART: 7/10
Minimalism. You love it, hate it, or you just don’t care. I honestly wouldn’t even call this “art,” as it is actually graphic design. I will grade this based on its ability to clearly display constraints on such a small card.
Every UI element is in fours: shape, color, and number. It is a nice touch to display the number not only on the corners of the card like regular playing cards but also as white pips in the shape's center. The cards are not overbearing and display just the right amount of information to make the game as simple or complex as you would like!
The only knock I will give is that this is not really accessible for individuals with colorblindness, as “same or different color” would be tough to distinguish.
STORYTELLING: 0/10
This game focuses on finding opportunities that other players do not see. Iota is strictly a pattern and mathematical game with no story at all. Not a bad thing, but definitely geared more toward logical minds who like to find the optimal play on each of their turns.
COMPONENTS: 5/10
Not much to judge, but I adore the square shape cards. They are visually pleasing and not something you see often in games. The tin is durable and can hold all the cards with the folded-up rules with no issues or fear of bending the cards. The only downside is that shuffling square cards is much more awkward than your standard rectangle.
COMPLEXITY: 5/10
Oddly enough, I’m scoring this in the middle. Looks are deceiving. This game can be for younger players who can see simple patterns, but also for complex-minded players who can see beyond.
A simple play is often only placing your cards in a row or column that does not touch any other cards for fear of breaking the rules of the game (which are often broken by accident). I can see kids playing this game, but probably making mistakes with cards touching that do not follow the rules.
TRAVEL-FRIENDLY: 8/10
As I mentioned earlier, it can literally fit in your pocket. Just make sure not to lose it; it’s so small! Now, you might ask, “But Katie, if it’s that tiny, why doesn’t it score a full ten points?!”
Iota does require a decent table space to play, given the crossword puzzle layout of the game. Players can choose anywhere they want to place their cards, and if they can’t find an opportunity to place them in a condensed way, the game area expands.
You cannot easily play this in the car, on a plane, or waiting for something. It’s just a fun little game you can bring along on a vacation or corporate event where you know you have some downtime and enough space to play. Never hurts to bring a bunch of tiny games with you for a family gathering, just in case, you know?
UNIQUENESS: 2/10
I feel like Iota (2012) already exists in both Set (1988) and Qwirkle (2006). Qwirkle uses only two qualities (color and shape) but has six unique options, whereas Iota has only four unique options but uses three qualities (color, shape, and number). Set uses all three qualities, but only has three options. I know, this is getting confusing to read, so like I said, this concept clearly already exists.
Set is about speed to opportunity but has the exact same rules as Iota. Qwirkle and Iota feel almost like the same game entirely. Iota just wins in the cute and travel-friendly categories.
Iota provides a complex set of options compared to the rest, given three qualities and four options. I know there’s some mathematical equation for the number of possibilities, but that was something I learned in high school stats that I don’t even remember. Someone can figure it out and let me know in the comments.
Innovation:
Matias Duarte, VP of Design at Google, once said: “Design is all about finding solutions within constraints. If there were no constraints, it’s not design — it’s art”. I have always loved this quote because some of our greatest ideas and achievements come from constraints that set upon ourselves.
A challenge I’ve always wanted to take on is designing a game with all its components in a mint tin. This game is creative with its card shape and finding elements to add to each card that adds layers to the strategy overall. There are several “mint tin” games out there, so when constraining yourself so much, each game is bound to come out with something unique.
Final Comments
This game will be challenging to play with dissimilar minds as it might be hard for more opportunistic players not to play the best hand they can and score as many points as possible. In the few plays I have had, there is often one player that just doesn’t “get it” and just plays their cards and moves on, while others (like myself) take too long of turns trying to do the smartest play available. There will almost always be a “for-sure” winner.
This game is excellent and quick enough if you want to scratch the itch of getting a game in before your day ends. Some people will enjoy this level of mathematical strategy more than others. These sorts of puzzle games really work your mind muscles and will help you when you get older. But if you want to relax, this isn’t the game for you.
Similar To: Qwirkle, Set
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Publisher: Gamewright
Game(s) Pictured: Iota
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