Cardboard Corner: Review of K2

Everybody has the game type which works best for them. Trick taking, deckbuilder, worker placement, blah blah blah, certain types of games click with certain types of thinkers. Hand management, for reasons I don’t understand, clicks with my brain the most. (And it’s not even my favorite game type.) Thus, if hand management is something that also clicks with you, or you are interested in experiencing a tight hand management game in a mountain climbing theme, check out K2 (2010).

A mid-weight family/strategy game for 2-5 players, in K2 players try to be the best manager of two climbers attempting to summit the synonymous mountain. Be the player to get your two climbers collectively the highest, you win. Control of your team is handled by cards, of which there are two types: movement and oxygen. Movement cards allow players to move their teams higher or lower, and oxygen cards allow players to survive high-altitude, all of which are dependent on mountain conditions. Cards of each type extremely limited, players must choose wisely when to play their best cards, and when to hold them for later moments. Burn them too early and your team may die. Wait too long, and, you guessed it, your team may die. Weather affecting and influencing game state, as well as players’ ability to set up tents, the player must combine cards with these elements to most effectively and efficiently maneuver their team toward the top.

As mentioned, death is possible. Not enough oxygen and freezing temperatures the cause, players must maintain a close eye on where their teams are on the mountain, all the while remaining cognizant of the cards played, cards in hand, and cards still waiting to be played. Not a victory point salad, there is only one path to victory: smart use of cards.

Playing at around 30-45 minutes for 2 people, 20 minutes extra for each additional person, K2 plays well at all player counts. Regarding age, I believe the box says 8+. But this is a rare case where I would say the age at which a player can be reasonably competitive is probably higher, maybe 10 or 12+, depending on the child. As it stands, there are roughly five main factors which need to be calculated and estimated very precisely each turn if you want to have a chance at winning. Unlike some other family games (which I would still say K2 is), the playing field is not as even for younger children.

Given the situation on the market today, K2 is an “old game”. Released more than a decade ago, it holds up well, however. Sure production is simple: standard board, wooden meeples, representative art, and cards. But it doesn’t need anything sophisticated. Anything more elaborate, like a 3D board or fancy plastic minis, would be for hardcore fans only. Otherwise, the game plays tight and sweet.