K2 Review: climb the Savage Mountain!

In Step 1, each player chooses 3 of their 6 cards and place them face down. After all cards are selected, players reveal their cards simultaneously.

In Step 2, players add up the movement points of the 3 chosen cards (indicated by the green circle). Whoever has the highest sum takes one of the 3 available risk tokens. In the event of a tie, no one takes a risk token.

Risk tokens reduce movement or oxygen points. It is up to the player to decide which option is less detrimental to their strategy.

In Step 3, it's time for action! Move your climber, increase their oxygen level and/or set up a tent. The higher a mountaineer goes, the more points they earn. Pay attention to the weather forecast, as the yellow circles indicate extra points needed to advance.

In Step 4, do an Acclimatization Check, which means the climber's adaptation to the climate. Red circles indicate the amount of oxygen lost. If the oxygen drops below 1, the climber dies.

In Step 5, it is the End of Turn. The weather marker advances, indicating the weather for next turn. The player to the left of the starting player will be the new starting player for next turn.

Ending the Game

After 18 days - each turn equals one day -, whoever has the highest sum of victory points from their 2 mountaineers is the winner.

In case of a tie, the winner is the person whose climber reached the peak first. If no one reached the peak, then victory is shared.

Strategy Tips

In K2, the secret is to keep an eye on the next space you're going to. Note the requirements: how many movement points are needed, the current weather, the weather forecast for next turn, and what cards you have in hand. Wow, that's a lot!

To make it simpler: every space has a movement cost and, sometimes, a specific weather.

Movement Points also indicate the cost to pitch a tent. Tents are essential, as they reduce by 1 the impact of cold on acclimatization. Pitch tents in strategic locations.

Remember, each space has a maximum number of climbers, depending on the total number of players and altitude.

As your mountaineers climb to the top, they earn Victory Points depending on their altitude.

Important: the movement points on each card cannot be split between your climbers. You either use separate cards for each climber, or use all the movements on just one climber. Oxygen points cannot be split between two climbers either, but a climber can receive oxygen from more than one card.

The general idea is to get to the top and then quickly descend, since the weather conditions there are the worst. Score your points and then get out.

Make your best strategy, survive 18 days and win on K2!

Unboxing:

Rules:

Gameplay:

Children have all the information at their fingertips: the cards show movement points and oxygen, and the board shows each space's requirements and the weather forecast. They learn to work with these variables, which means an excellent stimulation, as they need to calculate how much and what to spend to get to a certain space.

Children's initial thinking is to run to the top, but by ignoring the weather forecast and the necessary oxygen can cause the death of the climber. There's a safeguard in the game through the rescue card, that allows the climber to descent and recover.

This means the mountaineer returns to the beginning and start over their climb. This is a good opportunity to teach about the dangers of a lack of planning.

Furthermore, the story and culture of the Savage Mountain is an enriching experience. You can show pictures and videos of the mountain to increase the children's attention and immersion.

From a pedagogical point of view, K2 teaches history, stimulates mathematical reasoning, resource management and, above all, it's fun!

I recommend K2 for your collection!