- BGG rank
- BGG #4,656
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Holi: Festival of Colors
- 2–4 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #19,082
- BGG rating
- 5.7
Ctrl
2020
Rules assistance for Ctrl
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- 7+
- Complexity 1.6/5
Rules assistant for Ctrl
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ctrl is a board game released in 2020 for 2–4 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 7 and up. It was designed by Julio E. Nazario and its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence, Three Dimensional Movement, and Pieces as Map.
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About the game
In Ctrl, players try to dominate a cube by crawling over it with their colored bricks, preferably covering other players' bricks along the way. In more detail, you start with a 3×3×3 cube that has one block of each player color stuck into one of the cube's holes. (In a two-player game, each player controls two colors, but at the start of play they secretly choose one of those colors to be their scoring color, with the other color serving only as a blocking mechanism.) Each player has a matching colored flag that sticks out of their block. On a turn, a player removes their flag from its current location, adds one cube of their color to the side of any of their blocks (where such a move can be made), then they "grow" their color by adding two blocks in a straight line from the block they just added, crawling around corners and covering other players' blocks if needed. To end your turn, plant your flag in one of your final blocks, ideally blocking where someone else might like to play while also preserving future ground in which you can play. Once all the blocks have been placed, you calculate your score by looking at the structure from all four surrounding sides, as well as from the top, and counting each unblocked square of your color that is visible. Thus, if you plant a block high up on the cube, you can possibly score 5 points for it since it would be seen from all sides and the top. Climb high, and block others from blocking you!
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Pandasaurus Games
Questions and answers
Ctrl supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Ctrl is 20 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Ctrl for ages 7 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Ctrl has a complexity rating of 1.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Ctrl belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence, Three Dimensional Movement, and Pieces as Map. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Ctrl are: Julio E. Nazario. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Ctrl as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.