LogFAQs > #966854362

27. Klask

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/165722/klask

Category: Player vs player
Key mechanics: Real-time, dexterity
Rules complexity (0 to 7): 0
Game length: 5-15 minutes
First played: 2021
Experience: 8-10 plays over 2 days with 2 players

Klask is played on a small tabletop board. Each player controls a magnetic pawn via a magnet under the board, and your goal is either to knock the game's ball (around the size of a marble) into your opponent's goal, or to get three little obstacle magnets to stick to your opponent's pawn. You can also give your opponent the goal if you lose and cannot regain control of your pawn, or if you drop your pawn into your own hole (a Klask).

Of all the games on my list, Klask is by far the least like any of the others. While yes, the game is literally atop a table, it has more in common with what I'd consider to be "sports" like table tennis, foosball, or especially air hockey than it does with classic tabletop games like Settlers of Catan, Chess, or Monopoly.

And hey, that's cool too. Klask has a manic energy to it that's characteristic of these physical competitions. Controlling your pawn always takes some time to get used to - it's a fun experience moving your pawn through this dividing layer. The area where you can move your pawn is limited to a fairly small portion of your size of the board; you'll never find yourself directly assault your opponent's pawn with your own. The motion of the pawn feels a little clumsy. And yet, there's a reasonably unbounded level of dexterous skill, combined with the semirandom motion of the little white magnets, combined with the fact that you're not actually getting physically tired playing it... people were able to get up to speed fairly quickly playing it over just that one weekend and were able to have a ton of fun playing against one another. One of those really nice toys just to have around for people to play with.