On the Wings of the Wind: A Preview of Kiwetin

Fly on the wings of the wind, grab onto branches, and race to the sacred flower, in this quick dice game currently on Kickstarter.

Gameplay

The developers were still tweaking the rules when we played the game, but the rules we played with are as follows:

The goal of Kiwetin is to be the first to reach the sacred flower space on the board. At the start of the game each player selects a character. There are three unique characters, each with different strengths. The board is laid out on the table and tiles are placed randomly on a random set of spaces on the board.

On your turn, you roll the movement die which can give you a result from one to three. You then add your result to your character's natural movement, and move your character forward that many spaces. If you land on a space with a tile, you must resolve that tile’s effect. It might move you back two, it might give you another turn, or it might make everyone switch characters with the player on their right.

If a tile’s ability moves you onto another tile, you keep resolving tiles until you either reach one that you’ve already activated this turn, reach one that does not move you, or land on a blank space. You next roll the two grabbing dice to see if you successfully cling to the spot on which you landed. At least one die result must be equal to or greater than the initial number of spaces you moved. If you succeed, you can stay where you are. If you fail, you must move back the number of spaces equal to your character’s natural movement.

Players also start the game with one rune card each. Rune cards give you special abilities and can be played at any time, and some tiles will allow them to draw more.

There are three different types of characters, with natural movement ranging from one to three. The slower the natural movement, the fewer spaces you can potentially move forward, but the easier it will be to grab.

Review

The board setup is fantastic with the randomized tiles. It means each game will be a little different. Even more fun, is the fact that one of the rune cards allows you to redistribute the tiles midgame, so there’s always just that extra bit of randomness that can potentially be thrown into the middle of the game.

All the characters are really well balanced, too. A lucky roll and Tin, the fastest, can easily see you to victory, but if luck isn’t on your side, than slow but steady Ki might be the better choice.

When we played Kiwetin it was for the most part all about luck, with the exception of choosing when to play your rune cards and which character to select. This isn’t the game for lovers of strategy but it’s not meant to be. It’s a race to the finish line in which anything can happen. The unpredictability of the tiles and your character’s grabs are what makes things fun. However, the developers gave us some alternative rules they were testing, and when we played it a second time, this did add a little more strategy to the gameplay.

A couple of the rune cards could use a bit of clarification. It’s not always obvious if some of them have to be played on yourself or can be played on other players as well.

Overall, the game feels like an experience: beautiful, dreamy, and elegant. Its whimsical setting comes through as you play the game and engrosses you. With a play time that ranges from about ten to fifteen minutes, Kiwetin is quick, enticing, and well worth checking out on Kickstarter.

Thanks to the publisher, you can also enter to win an exclusive prototype copy of Kiwetin!

Pros: Gorgeous artwork, fun unpredictability, beautiful atmosphere

Cons: As the game currently stands it's low on strategy, some rune cards could use clarification

Disclosure: this preview is based on our evaluation of an unpublished prototype of the game, which is subject to change prior to publication. While a modest payment was received to expedite the review process, our thoughts and opinions expressed here are honest and accurate.