Umbra Via

Step into a world shrouded in mystery, just beyond the towering vines and thorn-riddled stocks. Here lies an ancient pathway leading into the unknown—a clandestine garden bursting with vibrant life and color. Follow the intricate trails of vivid tiles that zig and zag through lush greenery, revealing secrets that hold the key to greater meaning...

Welcome to Umbra Via, where players engage in a thrilling competition to master the art of path-making. Start by reaching into your bag to select beautifully crafted wooden flowers, then strategically place them on your personal board according to the paths you desire most. But be prepared for surprises! When it’s time to reveal choices, the game takes a delightful twist.

Here’s how it unfolds: At the start of each round, four tiles are drawn from the deck, each depicting a crucial piece of the path—a straight line, a curve, or a T-shape. Players then secretly draw three cubes from their bags to assign to spaces on their board that correspond with these tiles. With a collective flip, everyone reveals their choices and moves their cubes to the selected tiles, only to embark on a second round of secret cube placement. Each tile claimed will ultimately contribute to your victory!

The excitement builds as the tile with the fewest cubes is placed first onto the 4x4 grid by the player who bid the most. Some of your cubes even count as double during the bidding phase, adding a strategic layer to this enchanting game. As each tile settles into place, if all open ends of that path are blocked by the board’s edges or adjoining tiles, it’s time to count your cubes!

The player with the highest number of placed cubes on that path will retrieve "double-bidding" cubes from the reserve equal to the number of tiles in play, enhancing their bag! The second-highest also gets a reward, albeit a little less, fostering a fun and competitive atmosphere that keeps everyone engaged.

Once all the cubes have been accounted for and tiles removed, the next round begins. The first player to reclaim all their "double-bidding" cubes from the reserve claims victory!

Discover the captivating charm of Umbra Via and see why this award-winning game is an essential addition to any game night. Adventure awaits—are you ready to untangle the secrets of the garden?