In Knitting Circle, various knitting kitties and calculating cat ladies (actually cat people, but that doesn’t alliterate as nicely) compete to knit the most beautiful scarves, socks, jumpers and… underpants (?!) from colourful yarn. Underpants made of wool… Wow, I really can’t imagine that. How itchy must that be! Anyway, players try to knit as many garments as possible in the most beautiful patterns and with the right colours to score as many points as they can. During Knitting Circle, players can get up to plenty of mischief to knit themselves to victory. Will you end up as a happily purring cat cozy a warm or will you be left out in the cold?
Background
Knitting Circle is the spiritual successor to the cuddly puzzle game Calico. In Calico, players made a patchwork quilt with their patchwork cats (and other types). Players took turns drafting a patch from the market and adding it to their quilt, scoring points for patterns and colour combinations. In Knitting Circle too, players draft and puzzle with patterns and colours, and the cosy, feline theme is preserved. Otherwise, the game is simply a spiritual follow-up with clear similarities, but in terms of gameplay, it’s largely a very different game.
Setup and Gameplay
Each player gets a player board with a basket and space to collect yarn and cat paws. All the yarn goes into the bag, and in the centre of the table there’s a board with yarn around it from which players can collect. Players receive buttons (which allow them to earn bonus points if they make the right patterns, colour combinations or garments). Players also choose a garment to start knitting.
There are six rounds in total, and in each round a player gets four turns to collect yarn. After players have gathered yarn, they may start knitting. The rounds are quite straightforward: the active player moves his or her cat 1 or 2 available spaces forward on the central board and picks from the available yarn. Once each player has collected four new yarns, knitting can begin. They can add yarn to their current projects, use it to start new projects, or flip yarn tiles to the desired side.
Players earn victory points by completing garments, adding buttons, and achieving bonus goals. Buttons are earned by using the right colours, making the right patterns, or knitting the desired garment. If the pattern on your completed garment is incorrect, it’s ‘ugly’ and you may receive penalty points. Completing garments can also earn you bonuses. At the end of their turn, players replenish any buttons, allowing them to score bonus points in various ways throughout the game.
Verdict
Knitting Circle offers, just like its predecessor, a cracking and cuddly puzzle game. As with Calico, the game is friendly and cute, both thanks to the theme, the stunning illustrations by Beth Sobel, and the relaxed gameplay. The way players collect yarn ensures plenty of interaction, and the puzzle remains engaging thanks to the variety of garments, the mechanism with the yarn tiles and their orientation, and the different ways to score points with the buttons.
Nice detail: Knitting Circle also includes a mini-expansion for Calico. Players can add the central board and pawns from Knitting Circle to Calico, introducing a new drafting element.
