Tsuro Review

Intro

Tsuro takes everything complicated about board games and throws it out the window. You're placing tiles with winding paths on them, trying to keep your little dragon token alive while everyone else's crashes and burns. That's it. That's the whole game.

This gem from 2005 handles anywhere from 2 to 8 players in about 20 minutes, making it perfect for groups that can't agree on what to play. With a BoardGameGeek rating hovering around 6.7 out of 10, it's clearly not trying to be the next Twilight Imperium. Instead, it nails something much harder: being genuinely accessible without feeling dumbed down. The rules take maybe two minutes to explain, and your grandmother could beat you at it.

How It Plays

Everyone starts with a dragon token on the edge of a 6x6 grid and three tiles in hand. Each tile shows curving paths that connect the edges in different ways. On your turn, you place one tile adjacent to your dragon, then follow whatever path your dragon is on until it stops.

Your dragon stops when it hits an empty space, flies off the board, or crashes into another dragon. The last two scenarios knock you out of the game. The goal is simple: be the last dragon standing.

The genius is in how the paths work. When you place a tile, you're not just extending your own route—you might be completing someone else's path too. Suddenly their dragon goes zooming across the board in a direction they never intended. What starts as a leisurely stroll becomes a frantic dance of survival as the board fills up and your options disappear.

Each turn becomes a puzzle: which tile keeps you alive while potentially screwing over your opponents? Sometimes you're forced to place a tile that sends you toward danger, hoping you'll draw something better before your next turn. It's hand management at its most brutal.

Highlights

The beauty of Tsuro lies in its escalating tension. Early turns feel relaxed as you meander around the mostly empty board. But as tiles fill the grid, every placement becomes crucial. You're constantly calculating not just where your dragon will go, but where everyone else's might end up. That moment when you realize you've accidentally created a path that sends two opponents crashing into each other? Chef's kiss.

It's also brilliantly scalable. With two players, it's a tense duel of positioning. Add more dragons and it becomes beautiful chaos. Eight-player games are absolutely wild—dragons ricocheting around the board like pinballs while players shriek with laughter and dismay. The player elimination happens fast enough that nobody's stuck watching for long.

The production quality deserves mention too. The tiles are thick and satisfying, the dragon tokens are chunky and colorful, and the Asian-inspired artwork gives it a zen-like feel that matches the flowing gameplay. It looks great on the table and feels substantial despite its simple rules.

What really sets Tsuro apart is how it creates genuine strategy within such a simple framework. You're not just reacting to what's on the board—you're thinking several moves ahead, trying to position yourself in safe areas while maneuvering opponents into danger. It's abstract strategy disguised as a light family game.

Criticisms

The biggest knock against Tsuro is that it can feel random. Sometimes you draw the perfect tile to escape danger; other times you're stuck with three tiles that all lead to doom. Skilled players definitely have an edge, but luck plays a bigger role than some strategy fans prefer. When you're eliminated early through no real fault of your own, it stings a bit.

The player elimination mechanic itself bothers some people. Sure, games are quick, but getting knocked out in the first few rounds while everyone else continues playing isn't fun. It's especially rough in larger games where the chaos can claim victims seemingly at random. Modern game design has largely moved away from elimination for good reason.

There's also the question of longevity. Tsuro is fantastic for what it is, but it doesn't have the depth that keeps you coming back for months. Once you've played a dozen games or so, you've probably seen most of what it has to offer. It's the kind of game that lives in your collection as a reliable opener or closer rather than the main event.

Conclusion

Tsuro is perfect for groups that want strategy without complexity, competition without cruelty. It's an ideal gateway game that doesn't insult anyone's intelligence while remaining genuinely engaging for experienced players. Families will love it, casual groups will request it, and even serious gamers will appreciate its elegant design.

If you need something that plays quickly, teaches easily, and generates laughs and groans in equal measure, Tsuro delivers. It won't be your favorite game of all time, but it might be the one you're most grateful to own. Sometimes simple really is better.