Reiner Knizia’s enduring classic returns, with its iconic camels and elegant gameplay ready to win over newcomers and longtime fans alike. Build long, sweeping caravans across the desert to score points at watering holes and oases, and claim territory before your opponents do. At the start of the game, the map looks wide open. As the turns go by, though, scoring gets harder and harder, until the game turns into a “knife fight in a phone booth” toward the end. The board is randomly seeded and playing styles vary from table to table, so it rewards both creativity and adaptability. Water is scarce, and points are even scarcer.

Gameplay Overview: Through the Desert has only a few rules, but the choices you make with them are tough. Each player leads several caravans, and on your turn you place just two camels to grow them. You can stretch a caravan toward a valuable watering hole, race an opponent to an oasis, or cut off part of the desert to claim that territory for yourself. Every placement matters, because the best spots disappear quickly as the board fills up. Timing is everything. If a move might get blocked, you’ll want to make it before anything else. There are several ways to score, so even when one plan falls apart, another one usually opens up. The pastel camel minis look wonderful on the table, and a game takes about 20 minutes. It’s a great choice for families ready to move beyond gateway games and for strategy fans who love a tight, thinky game.