Gorinto: The most strategic tile placement game you’ll ever play

I stumbled upon the tile placement game, Gorinto by Grand Gamers Guild, at GenCon2021. What drew me in was the game, Mythalix. Along with its deck building, miniature driven, and combative play. Mythalix is competitive and requires two players though so decided to move along. As I did, I noticed Gorinto and its majestic tiles off to the side. The tiles and structure created by them on the game board drew my attention and reminded me of Mahjong

Gorinto is a tile-placement game where players take turns selecting tiles. Then, they move the tiles to collect more tiles from preset patterns. It has simple rules but a deep strategy. The goal, to collect tiles according to Objective and Key Element cards. If you do, you score points each round. Finally, when the game ends, you receive more points for matching the key card.

A Tile Placement Game Where You Will Need To Be In Tune With The Elements

Blow in the wind. Rise higher and higher with fire. Flow wide and strong with the water. Slip between all the elements with the void. You will perform all these to achieve balance with the elements. A balance that leads to understanding. That understanding leads you to achieve the final element, wisdom.

Gorinto is a Japanese pagoda. It represents the understanding of the elements and ultimate wisdom. Within it are the elements of earth (cube), water (sphere), fire (pyramid), air (crescent), and void (lotus). In the game, the players collect the elements. This leads to achieving ” understanding”. Increased understanding leads to the ultimate wisdom.

Arranging Tiles in the Game for Pattern Recognition

To set up the tile placement game, Gorinto, you begin by unfolding the gameboard. Then, place the scoreboard to the side of the gameboard. Place the season marker on the scoreboard in the “Spring” location. Next, mix the 100 elements in the bag. After that, draw a single tile and place it on the game board according to the “peak” diagram. Repeat the tile placement until the peak is complete. Finally, take 10 elemental tiles from the bag. Place these on the path next to the peak.

With the game board set up, shuffle the Objective and Key Element cards. Next, place two of each on the scorecard. You use these cards to score points after each round and after the game ends.  With the scorecard filled, each player selects a player mat. Then, they place the associated color “High Wisdom Markers” on the scorecard. Finally, select the player at random to start the game. That player receives the “start coin” and you are ready to play the game.

A solo mode to the tile placement game, Kitsune.

In solo mode, you play against the powerful and mischievous spirits known as “Kitsune”. Kitsune takes the form of a fox and tries to collect the tiles you are trying to collect. First, with the game set up, select a second marker and player board to represent the Kitsune. Then:

• Remove and replace any Objective cards with the conflict letter “C”

• Select two Key Element cards and place them below the existing Key Element cards. These become Kitsune’s goals.

• Shuffle the 10 “Burrow” tokens into a stack. Then, shuffle five Kitsune tiles in a stack. Finally, reveal the top tile of each stack. The burrow token identifies the location of the Kitsune tiles. For each location, remove the element tile and place it back in the bag. Finally, place the Kitsune tile in the open location. Repeat this 4 times. Set aside the remaining burrow tiles.

• Shuffle the five movements “chits” and place them face down next to the game board. Then, take the top chit and place it to the side without looking at it.

• Take the top movement chit. Place the fox head token on the row or column identified by the movement chit. Repeat this process for the tail token.

With that, Gorinto is ready for solo play.

A Unique Tile Placement Game, The Basics Of Playing Gorinto

You play the game of Gorinto through “four seasons”. During each season, the players take an equal number of turns. They work towards gaining “Understanding” within the elements. This understanding gives them “Wisdom” when it aligns with the Objective cards and the Key Element cards. The goal of the game is to achieve the most wisdom.

To collect tiles, the player starts by selecting a single tile from the path

Players move the tile along a horizontal or vertical line across the mountain. Then, they place the tile on one of the mountain stacks. Finally, the player removes one elemental tile according to the elemental diagram and the tile placed. Player’s can remove tiles if they have tiles matching (understanding) the one placed, one for each tile. The element diagrams are different for each element. For:

• Wind tiles, players select from adjoining tiles above, below, or to the sides of the placed tiles.

• Fire tiles, players select them from tiles in a vertical line from the placed tile.

• Water tiles, players select them from tiles in a horizontal line from the placed tile.

• Earth tiles, players select from the stack under the placed tile.

• Void tiles, players select from adjoining corner tiles next to the placed tile.

The collected tiles become the “understanding” of the associated element

When you gather tiles, you place them on the player mat. For each tile placed, you gain one understanding of that element. The more understanding, the more tiles you can collect during the next round.

Play continues until the players outnumber the tiles on the Path. When this happens, the season ends and the season marker moves to the next season. After each season ends, remove all the tiles from the path and return them to the bag. Then, shuffle the bag, select new tiles for the path, and place them on the game board.

When each season ends, the players gain wisdom according to the Objective card and the understanding they have. This will be different for every game. After the final season, winter, the game ends. Finally, the player gains wisdom for each tile matching the Key Element cards.

How to adjust the tile placement game for solo play

The play follows the 2-4 player rules above with the following adjustments.

• You alternate your turn with Kitsune going first each round.

• You may not take a Kitsune tile from the path.

On Kitsune’s turn:

You flip the coin to see if you move Kitsune’s head or tail. Then, if the head or tail is on a:

• Tile already, Kitsune will gather tiles. They do so with an unlimited understanding of all elements.

• Blank space, activate Kitsune’s magical power. It will gather the most plentiful, visible element tile on the gameboard.

Place the elemental tiles gathered by Kitsune on the player mat. Scored them after each season and at the game ends as normal. Players draw a chit and move kitsune’s head or tail to the noted location. Finally, play continues until the chits are gone.

Gorinto: A Tile Placement Game Where Strategy is King

The rules of Gorinto are simple: take turns selecting tiles. Then, move the tiles and collect tiles from preset patterns. But, the strategy is deep. Using your strategy, you need to place tiles and collect wisdom according to Objective and Key Element cards.

I was a bit surprised by the toughness of strategically arranging the tiles in this game

Abstract games don’t usually draw me in. Understanding which tile to move? Which space to move it to? All to gain understanding (tiles)? If you do, you can collect tiles next round. This tile collection mechanic isn’t one I have experienced. It does though, reminds me of backgammon. And I do enjoy a good, classic game of backgammon.

The production of the tile-placement game Gorinto is high quality. From the art, the tiles, the bag, to the cardboard used for the game board and player mats. All the components are durable with the tiles fitting tight and neat. With these components, the game is quick and easy to set up. As for replayability, you can configure the game board for different challenges. Instead of a mountain, you can choose a wave, mesa, wake, or a hill.

Variability and accessibility in a tile placement game with pattern recognition

The variability of Gorinto works due to the pattern recognition actions. You must plan for the collection of tiles with each tile placement action you will take.  It’s from the strategic tile collection that allows you to gain understanding. And it’s this understanding that allows you to score points after each season. All at the same time as you are trying to block your opponent’s tile placement.

Each tile placement needs to increase your understanding of specific elements. A real challenge because you have to choose the correct path. At any time though, the opposing player can break your plan with a single tile placement on their turn. They might also collect the tiles you are planning to take with that tile placement.

The accessibility of the board game comes into play through the ease of play. The detailed rule book is easy to follow.  There are only a few things to keep track of so you can focus on your strategy. The elemental tile placement actions are easy to learn. If you forget, the game board has them printed on the side. As for scoring after each season, it’s not complicated and tracked with wisdom markers. This creates a family-friendly game that is perfect for the casual gamer. And one that is not overwhelming to learn.

Achieving wisdom through goal cards and the key elements

Gorinto’s main strategy comes into play by working towards gaining wisdom. You need to collect tiles that align with the Objective and Key Element Cards. For example, one Objective card might say “Score twice the distance between your shortest stack and your tallest stack”. This card would lead to a strategy to try to gather as many of one element while not gathering any of another. But having a stack of 6 in one element and a stack of 0 in another, you will score 12 points.

The difficulty enters play when you factor in the other Objective card. It might say, “If you have any empty stacks, score zero. Otherwise score seven times your shortest stack”. This complicates your strategy as it wants you to keep at least one in each stack. In the scenario above, you would score 0 points for this card. If you had 6 in one element and 1 in another, you would score 10 points (5 x 2) for the one card and 7 for the second card. A total of 12 for the season. Your opponent complicates this by trying to gobble up the same tiles as you.

Gorinto’s tile-placement strategy, while new to me, has become a favorite of mine. And one that changes with the game board used, Objective cards drawn, and Key Elements needed. Many paths to take, to play, but only one path to victory.

Expansions for Gorinto

• 5th Player Expansion. Includes a 5th player game board, wisdom marker, and more elemental tiles.

• Dragon Expansion. This mini-expansion adds five dragon tiles. The dragon tiles act as wild card-type elements.