When we think about classic board games, a lot of us probably think about games such as Chess or Draughts (Checkers), these two have been around for centuries and are always going to be high, if not at the top, of the list. They are both excellent games of strategy. Whilst both are still very popular games (I know an 11 year old who has just discovered the joys of Chess and is loving it), over time games inevitably get an upgrade or redesign. With these games being such iconic classics, how could you possibly upgrade or redesign them? Apart from changing the pieces for different figures, there really isn’t much to do is there? Welcome to Prometheus, a new strategy game for a new era; a game that is “easier and quicker to play than Chess, more intriguing than Draughts and more exciting than both!”
Prometheus is a strategy board game for 2 players aged 7+. It has a playing time of around 20-30 minutes. A game that requires logic, strategic thinking, planning and daring to be able to beat your opponent.
In the box:
- 50 Playing Pieces (25 Black, 25 Gold)
- 2 Storage Bags
- Playing Board
- Instructions (Rules/Instructions)
So what is Prometheus? Well, Prometheus is the God of Fire, one of the Titans (a pre-Olympian god). It is also thought to mean “forethought”. But we are not here to talk about Ancient Greece or Greek Mythology, but Prometheus the game.
Prometheus is a strategy board game. Invented by a former teacher and head of maths, Christopher Curtis, the aim is to capture your opponent’s pieces (called Pyras, Tetras and Cubes) and ultimately capture their Sphere piece. If you have ever played draughts, you will know that it is played with 12 identical “counters”. Chess is played with six different types of playing pieces that can move in various fashions. Prometheus only has four different types of playing pieces that move backwards, forwards and sideways, just not diagonally, and they have different move values depending on how many vertices (corners) each piece has: a cube has eight vertices, a pyra has five vertices, a tetra has four vertices, and a sphere has zero vertices (so cannot move and stays in a fixed position on the board).
It is a simple game to learn and play, with quick game play and impossible to end in a draw. A fun game that you can easily play more than one game with friends and family without getting board (sorry, I mean bored!). The real challenge of this game is to see your way past your own and your opponent’s moves to build a strategy to always be a least one step ahead, having some “forethought”.
GAME SETUP: each player selects a colour that they want to play with (gold or black pieces). The pieces are they positioned over 3 rows on each player’s side of the board – cube pieces on the back row, pyras (the bigger of the pyramid pieces) are placed on the second row and the tetras (the smaller of the pyramid pieces) are placed on the third row. Each player will have a sphere piece left over – you will have to place this on the back or second row, sacrificing a cube or a pyra piece.
PLAYING THE GAME: playing and movement is easy. The aim of the game is to ultimately capture your opponent’s sphere piece. Each player makes their starting move by moving one of their tetra pieces by up to four spaces (because it has four vertices) – backwards, forwards, left and right moves, no diagonal moves, and pieces cannot be jumped. On the opening moves no pieces can be taken. Moves are then taken in turns to strategically position your pieces to try and capture your opponent’s pieces with the aim of taking the sphere. The winner is the player that captures their opponent’s sphere.
Overall, I have loved playing Prometheus and cannot recommend it enough. If strategy games like Chess and Draughts are your thing, then you will love Prometheus. It is more complex and interesting to play than Draughts and easier to play and understand than Chess, but it still requires good logical thinking and strategic planning to beat your opponent and win the game. With gameplay of approximately 20 to 30 minutes it is also a quick game to play a few rounds.
The pieces are good quality and I love that each player’s pieces come in their own drawstring bag.
Whilst the rules and game play are simple to understand, to be honest, it does take three of four plays to really get into the swing of the game and understand the fine nuances between the different pieces and their movements. But once you fully understand the game play, then it does become a very addictive and extremely enjoyable game to play, for all ages.
It really is an superb and challenging game. A fantastic game to put that old grey matter to use, and the kids love it just as much as the adults.
Whilst Prometheus is an excellent game, it also encourages cognitive skills, problem solving skills, promotes brain growth, and is excellent for helping with teaching tactics, planning, forethought and helps build self-confidence and self-belief in what you are doing.
Chess and Draughts have survived the test of time and are still being played today, still going strong, and I think that Prometheus will have the longevity of both those games as well. It is a quick game to play with lots of fun but without the complexities of chess whilst being just as strategic.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £24.99 (Standard Edition) / £199 (Colour De Luxe Edition) / £199 (De Luxe Edition)
For more information, visit www.prometheusconcept.com. Also available from Amazon here.
