Riombo (1983)

About this game

Players sail their canoe down the River Ombo trying to get the most 'stick' currency. On a player's turn everyone secretly chooses a number of sticks and then reveals them. The total number of sticks determines the number of spaces the player must move. Many of the spaces make the player lose sticks or gain sticks. At the end of the river a player chooses to take 10 sticks or to 'double' his canoe causing all event spaces to double their effect on the next journey down the river. Players must use bluff and guesswork to try to land on the good spaces and avoid the pirate spaces. The first player to get 80 sticks wins.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 6.
• Rules load. At 1.4/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 8 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.