Designer:  Elaine Shimokawa

Artist:  Elaine Shimokawa

Publisher:  Moon Guitar

Genre/Mechanisms:  2 players, hand management, set collection, tile placement

Funding Status:  At the time of this posting, Tapiru is already fully-funded. Pledges currently total almost 2.5 the initial funding goal with 6 days left to go on the campaign.

Player Count:  2

Solo Mode:  no

Complexity:  light

Risk:  HIGH

What It’s About:  “A bubble tea battle game for two players. Compete to get the most squishy tapioca goodness into your cup of tea.”

How It Works:  Players each begin the game by drawing 3 lid tiles and 3 base tiles, and separating them into 3 different columns, with a lid and base tile in each. Also in each column is one random selection of the “Ta,” “Pi,” “O,” and “Ca” tokens (a player must win one of each of the 4 token-types to win the game), as well as a “More-Than” token. Players also begin the game with 2 tiles in hand, and draw a new tile at the beginning of each turn, giving them 3 tiles in-hand to work with each turn. Some of these tiles may be lids and bases, some “Branding” tiles, but most of them will be tapioca cards containing 1-5 pearls. If at the end of the round, a player has more than 20 pearls in their 3 cups, they will not score for the round.

Players place 1 tile each turn, attempting to build cups each containing a branding tile and 3 tapioca tiles. Tiles can be placed over other tiles to change what had previously been played. Whenever a player places a base tile over an already-existing base tile, the “More-Than” token will flip sides, becoming a “Less-Than” token, or, if flipped again, back to a “More-Than” token. This determines whether the cup in that column needs to have More or Less tapioca pearls than their opponent’s cup in the same column to claim the “Ta,” “Pi,” “O,” or “Ca” reward token at the end of the round. If a player constructs a milk tea cup with no pearls, that cup will automatically wins the token. A player must include a Branding tile in a cup for it to score at the end of the round. And finally, if a player completes a cup and the lid tile, branding tile, and all 3 tapioca tiles all contain the same color straw, that player will draw an additional “Ta,” “Pi,” “O,” or “Ca” tile as a reward.

The round ends when either player has completed all 3 cups, or when all of the tiles have been drawn. At the end of the round, if a player has all 4 of the different scoring tokens, they win the game. If not, players proceed to an additional round.

Comparisons: Some similar games that are relatively simple card/tile competition games exclusively for 2 players include 7 Wonders Duel, Battle Line, The Fox in the Forest, Hanamikoji, Jaipur, Lost Cities, and the original mode in Star Realms.

What Should I Pledge?:
$16 Tea for One: one copy of Tapiru, including all stretch goals.
$19 Royal Milk Tea: includes everything in the Tea for One pledge level, plus an “ancient tapioca artwork” premium postcard print.
$200 Da Hong Pao Oolong: includes everything in the Royal Milk Tea pledge level, plus either a “shout-out” in the rule or on the package, or a custom boba tea brand card.

Add-Ons:
None.

KS Exclusives
None listed, but it seems unlikely this game will be headed to retail in its current state as a self-published game from a first-time designer.

All-In Total: In the continental U.S. (and assuming you’re not interested in the $200 vanity pledge), you’re looking at $19 for Royal Milk Tea pledge plus $4 in shipping for a total of $23. If you don’t want the postcard, then the Tea for One pledge level is $20 with shipping.

Tapiru completes its Kickstarter on Monday, June 1st and tentatively ships in October 2020.