Gemstone Caverns^*

Gemstone Caverns is a roll-and-write game from ThinkFun and Ravensburger in which two to four players aged 8 and up roll for jewels and pack their minecarts.

What's it about?

You play miners deep inside the caverns. The dice decide which gems you get, and you mark them on your own grid, arranged by shape. At the end you sell your haul to a picky gem buyer at the local market. The buyer only pays for proper sets, so you're chasing groups of five or more of each gem shape.

How it plays

1. Roll the gem dice.
2. Mark the rolled gems on your personal 7×7 grid.
3. Arrange matching shapes into groups that are as large as possible.
4. Sell at the end of the game, and the highest score wins.

Who is it for?

A game runs 25 to 50 minutes. Everyone plays at the same time, so nobody sits around waiting for a turn. It works for families with older children and for anyone who enjoys a spatial puzzle. The dice bring some luck, but your choice of where each gem goes matters most. Christof Tisch is the designer.

Conclusion

This is a solid puzzle for roll-and-write fans who like to quietly work on their own sheet. If you want plenty of interaction or the chance to mess with others, you won't find much of that here.