Speedy ants flit over the forest floor. But above them lurk three fat spiders in their web. This is shown on a second game map, hovering over the forest floor. Magnets mean that when two spiders move, the third can abseil down to the forest floor on a long thread to catch one of the ants. Lucky dice rolls and smart thinking decide whether players move one of their ants or move both the spiders in the web – or even whether an ant should be protected by placing a hollow tree stump over them, preventing the spider from catching them but also stopping the ant from moving forward. An extraordinary three-dimensional game that uses a mixture of luck and tactics to create real tension, for older players too.
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Jury statement
There’s a lot of activity on the forest floor – and above it too. The multi-layered magnetic mechanism exerts a magical attraction over the players. The designer Roberto Fraga adds a new level to the classic race game. The spider lurking directly above the ants’ path creates a creeping sense of peril. Do I attack my opponents? Or do I try to get my own ants safely home? This exciting game concept overshadows the quality components every time: it’s no gimmick.