Objective
Mondo is a fast-paced tile-laying game where players create their own little world in a limited time by placing landscape tiles. The goal is to build the biggest and most beautiful world, earn points, and make as few mistakes as possible.
Game Components
- Variety of landscape tiles
- Player boards for each player
- Scoring tokens
- A timer or hourglass
- A starting player token
Game Setup
- Each player receives a player board.
- Shuffle the landscape tiles and place them in the center of the table.
- Place the scoring tokens beside the playing area.
- Select a start player.
Gameplay
The game is played over three rounds, each lasting seven minutes.
- When all players are ready, start the timer and all players simultaneously begin taking tiles from the center and placing them on their boards.
- Each tile shows different types of landscapes, such as forests, water, deserts, and mountains, as well as animals or volcanoes.
- Players try to place tiles in a way that landscapes are completely enclosed to score more points at the end of the round.
- It is possible to complete landscapes by placing similar landscapes adjacent to one another (water next to water, forest next to forest, etc.).
- Once time runs out, players must remove their hands from the tiles, and the round ends.
Scoring
After each round, there is a scoring phase: - Completed landscapes earn positive points (number of tiles in the landscape). - Open landscapes incur negative points. - Animal tiles on completed landscapes yield additional points. - Volcano symbols result in negative points.
After three rounds, the player with the highest score wins.
Strategic Tips
- Aim to create as large and completely enclosed landscapes as possible to earn the most points.
- Try to place landscape types sensibly to minimize the number of open landscapes.
- Pay attention to animal and volcano symbols when placing tiles to gain extra points or avoid penalties.
Special Feature: The game promotes both strategic thinking and speed. It can help to have a plan in mind for optimally arranging the tiles while also keeping an eye on the time.
