*Star is a two-player connection game with a useful twist: reaching the edge matters, but making too many separate scoring groups can work against you. A turn is only a stone placement. The strategic interest lies in making those placements support a connected position rather than collecting scattered successes.
How It Plays
Players alternate placing stones on a five-sided board. Stones stay in place. The centre bridge cannot hold a stone, but both colours can use it for connections. A connected group reaching at least two edge cells becomes a star. Scoring rewards owned edge cells and a corner majority, then adjusts the result in favour of the player with fewer separate stars. Play ends when the board is filled or neither player can gain further points.
The Central Trade-Off
The scoring makes expansion and consolidation pull in different directions. Taking another edge can look attractive, yet creating a disconnected star may reduce the benefit. That is the design’s strongest feature: local gains need to be evaluated against the whole network. A beginner can understand the placement action quickly, but understanding the value of a position requires learning the scoring examples.
Who It Suits
*Star is a good candidate for two players who enjoy abstract spatial contests and visible information. It offers no thematic storyline to carry the evening; the contest is the pattern of connections itself. The publisher marks smaller playing areas within the tournament board, so learners can use the same rules on a smaller field. That is a useful way to start without committing immediately to the full board.
Verdict
The appeal of *Star is the productive conflict between claiming edges and keeping a network joined. Its simple action gives way to a less obvious scoring problem, which is precisely why an abstract-game enthusiast may find it interesting. Read and score the publisher’s examples together before playing. The rules support that strategic assessment; they do not establish how evenly two particular opponents will be matched.
Rules and Further Reading
*Star rules and learning resources.