In Trek 12, a game that managed to soar to new highs, players climbed the Himalayan mountains. By now, players have climbed every peak there is and are ready for a warmer climate. It’s high time (get it: high, because before this players climbed…) to explore the Amazon in Trek 12: Amazonia!
For players not yet familiar with Trek 12: Trek 12 is a roll-and-write game with a unique dice mechanism. The game contains 2 dice. Each turn, both dice are rolled and after rolling, each player gets to decide what to do with the dice rolled. For example, a player may choose the lowest or highest value, add, subtract or multiply the values. Note: the use of the different calculation methods is limited in number, though! Each calculation method can only be used x-number of times, after which it is gone!
A player may randomly place the first chosen value of the game on the score sheet, and subsequent rolls must be placed adjacent. And from this point on, Trek 12 Amazon differs slightly from the earlier game. In the original, a player could write a maximum of a 12 or 6 depending on the location on the score sheet, otherwise it was a ‘climbing mistake’. In the Amazon, there are different dangers. If players fill in a number higher than 12, a poisonous spider is placed which scores minus points at the end of a round. In addition, the river is filled with piranhas and players have to use a specific calculation method to cross the river safely. In both Treks, you can collect points by connecting adjacent successive values as tracks (climbing lines in the original) and adjacent same values form zones (climbing areas).
The Amazon has many animal species that players will discover and photograph. This is a new method of scoring points. At the start of the game, a number of cards with a corresponding number are placed on the table. As soon as a player checks the number on his or her score sheet, this animal has been discovered for the first time and the corresponding card is revealed. The card now shows how many points you can earn if you tick the corresponding number more often on your score sheet. This new way of scoring turns Trek 12’s strategy upside down, offering a fun variation on the earlier game. This makes Trek 12 Amazon more than just a standalone set with new scoring sheets.
Once all calculation methods have been used, a trek through the Amazon comes to an end. A player gets points for tracks, zones and animals discovered and minus points for spiders and piranhas that they have encountered. The player with the highest score wins.
Besides a new way to score, Trek 12 Amazon also includes new secrets for players to discover. In fact, the game contains multiple envelopes with game elements, score sheets and concepts that players slowly unlock as they play the game more often and in certain ways. Besides envelopes, Trek 12 Amazonia also contains a real travel case. Do you know how to open this chest? What this chest and envelopes house, you get to discover for yourself.
Trek 12 is highly recommended. It is a fun dice game with a unique twist by using different calculation methods. As players unlock new sheets and game components, the game also feels extremely varied. The same applies to Trek 12 Amazonia, but the new calculation method offers even more variety and strategy.
