Diamant, a great new press-your-luck style of game, has been consuming my free time lately. Players dig through mines, trying to find gems while avoiding dangers like cave-ins and explosions. It works with 4 to 8 players, and each game typically takes 5 to 15 minutes. Between face-to-face games and online play at the German site BrettspielWelt, I've played Diamant more than 30 times since early March. I'll post a review soon, but it's safe to say I love this game.
One of the most fascinating and enjoyable aspects is how wildly winning scores can fluctuate. I've seen players win with as few as 11 points; I've seen them win with as many as 60 points. In fact, in one series of five games earlier this week, the winners scored 21, 19, 60, 11 and 37. (I won the first of those games.)
Diamant is all about managing risk -- is the danger enough that you should leave the cave, or should you keep digging for jewels? Taking big risks can win you the game, but it can also assure a last-place finish. The theme is also appealing to me -- the game manages to conjure a little bit of an Indiana Jones vibe.
If you enjoy games like Can't Stop, Farkel or Cosmic Wimpout, it's worth trying to find a copy of Diamant (which, unfortunately, hasn't been published yet in the United States).
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