Some games let me build one big engine and ride it to the end. Zig asks me to build a small one, fire it up, and then rework the combo for the next round.
I designed Zig about 10 years ago, but relegated it to the back burner while I worked on peg games. Now it's back!
Why I brought Zig back
Zig is an acquisition game built around cards and patterns which lead to the acquisition (and sometimes loss) of point-scoring cubes. The name comes from the zigzag connections on the cards, linking pieces of information together so actions happen.
I have always liked engine builders such as Century Spice Road, Fantastic Factories, and Steampunk Rally. If you like these games, too, you will probably like Zig. The twist is that Zig's “engines” don't stay put for long. They can last only a couple of rounds, then have to be reprogrammed with new card combos.
That gives the game a different feel from many other card games. I am still chasing combos, but I don't get to settle in. Every round asks me to read the lines again, spot new links, and make peace with the fact that some outcomes won't be great.
What's in the box
There are plenty of components in this small box, but nothing too complicated:
A Zig mat for each player, a “round tracker” mat & pawn, a tall deck of Zag cards, lots of colored cubes, a first-player token, and the rulebook.
The player mat is where strategic card arrangements do the real work.
The goal is to collect as many cubes as you can with two scoring priorities in mind. (1) You want plenty of cubes in your own color (worth 2 points), and I also want at least one cube of every other color (worth 1 point). But if you end the game with any color missing from your collection, that subtract 5 points.
At setup, each player takes a color-coded mat. That mat has two card spaces, one on the left and one on the right. Each player starts with 15 cubes in their own color. The bank holds all the other cubes, sorted by color.
Zag cards are the heart of the system. Each one has one, two, or three connecting lines. When you place a Zag card on your mat, those lines connect verbs on the left side, numbers in the middle, and colors on the right. That combination tells me what action I can resolve later.
You can purchase Zag cards
A Zag card's background color tells me what color of cubes I need to buy it. Its cost matches the number of connecting lines on the card.
For example, a Red card with 2 lines costs 2 red cubes; a Blue card with 1 line costs 1 blue cube; a Gray card with 2 lines costs 2 cubes of any one color. (Gray cards are paid for with a single color of cubes, not a mix.)
A round of Zig, step by step:
Each round starts with buying Zags. On my turn, player may buy Zag cards from a marketplace of 4 choices - cards face-up on the table. By paying cubes from my treasury to the bank, you can add those cards to your hand. Buying cards is optional, and you can buy as many cards as you can afford.
After the buying phase is finished, you place two Zag cards on your mat so their lines align with the verbs, numbers, and colors printed there. (Because everyone spends much of the game evaluating their own options, this phase can be very quiet at the table.) Once everyone is ready, each player discards so they have two cards left in their hand and two cards on their mat.
Then the actions on the mat are resolves. If a zigzag connection can be resolved, it must be resolved — even when it hurts. Some connections create strong gains, while others force a sacrifice or lead into a dead end.
Once all players resolve their connections, the game resets for the next round. Every player passes one used Zag card from their mat to the player on their right. Then the first-player token is passed to the left, and the “round tracker” pawn advances one space.
The game lasts only nine rounds! When that pawn reaches the last space, you play one more round and then score.
You may can have a nice pile of cubes and still lose ground if you ignore one color too long. Because of that, saving a strong card combination for the end can be smart. A late fix is often better than a flashy mid-game play that leaves a color gap in the final round.
Who tends to enjoy Zig?
I find Zig suits visual thinkers best. The more I play, the faster I recognize the zags and the easier it gets to fit cards together. Players who enjoy spatial puzzles inside a card game will likely click with it sooner.
Groups prone to analysis paralysis may slow the pace, because there is a lot to scan and compare. I don't love timers, but a short one can help if turns go on too long.
What I like most about Zig is how the Zig-Zag system works. A few cards, a few cubes, and a simple mat turn into a short-term engine that I have to rebuild again and again. The best turns feel earned, the bad turns still matter, and the endgame asks me to think about every color I left behind.
I hope you get a chance to play Zig!