Quote from Ian Mortensen on March 2, 2019, 12:01 pm

Patchwork is a two player, tile laying, tetris-like game from the epic board game designer, Uwe Rosenberg. Famous for such blockbuster games as Agricola, Bohnanza, and A Feast For Odin. Patchwork currently sits at #61 of all time on BoardGameGeek.

In Patchwork, you are attempting to make a patchwork quilt better and more efficiently than your opponent. You begin with an empty board and 5 buttons—the game’s standard currency—which may be spent on one of the 3 oddly shaped pieces that are next in the massive circle of kaleidoscope-esque pieces in the middle of the table. Each piece you take has a specific cost in buttons and time (to sew onto your quilt, of course). Each unit of time you spend moves you along the timeline board. Doing so will earn you more of that much-needed button money, or even a conveniently square shaped piece to fill the hole in the middle of your quilt (if you’re the first person there). But beware, racing along comes with a price.

Here’s where Patchwork’s most interesting mechanic comes in. You may only take a turn when you are last in line on the time board. This variable turn order creates a second economy in the game. Yes, you may be able to scrape together enough buttons from your couch cushion and afford that next quilt piece, but do you have the time? Is it worth the time to take a button-cheap piece that fits perfectly on your board if it gives your opponent the time to nab three quick pieces in a row? All of a sudden, Patchwork transforms from a game that looked like a cute gift for your parents on Christmas day to a game that you’re bringing home yourself. You can finally show your snooty flatmate that there are modern games out there that can be just as complex and strategic as Chess, without the need to spend years memorizing moves (and all the while making your grandmother proud with your beautiful cardboard quilts).

And therein lies Patchwork’s inherent contradiction. While Patchwork presents itself as a game fit for a relaxed afternoon drinking tea on the porch, it is in fact a brain busting competition that stops conversations dead in their tracks as players compute the consequences of buying each piece. And truthfully, that’s a bit of a shame for a game about sewing odd pieces of cloth together. Also, as a two player game the amount of space needed is considerable, making it unable to fit comfortably on most two seater tables. Thankfully Patchwork has the name Uwe Rosenberg to plaster on the front, or it’s possible that the thematic mismatch would have made the game struggle to get off the ground.

Fortunately, the game does have the famous designer's name and was able to take off, because in truth the theme is one of the most charming parts of the game. It gives the game a refreshing quality that is lost on other abstract strategy games (we're looking at you Chess and Checkers). And the game pieces are made with great quality. It’s so satisfying holding these chunky pieces in your hand, and even more satisfying sliding them into place. All this would be lost if Uwe Rosenberg hadn’t decided to make his game about making sewing cute pieces of fabric together.

All in all, if you’re attracted to the theme of the game but are looking for something that you can relax with on a rocking chair holding a blanket on your lap as the sun goes down, Patchwork probably isn’t the game for you. You may also want to look at doing actual patchwork instead. However, if you’re looking for a solid two player game that can replace chess as your thoughtful meditation on being more clever than your opponent, and is also a fantastic introduction to strategic thinking for children eight years and up, Patchwork is definitely a game that deserves your attention.