Travel Abalone

by Vintage Sports Cards

Product Features

• Abalone is an all-time favorite two-player strategy game.
• The object is simple: push six of your opponent's marbles off the board before he or she does the same thing to you
• The board is hexagonal, with divots in which the marbles rest, and a track around the edge to catch them as they are pushed off
• Connecting the divots are shallow grooves; players push their marbles from divot to divot along these grooves.
• These marbles can be used to push your opponent's marbles as well, as long as you "outweigh" them in the direction you're moving. (i.e., three can push two, two can push one, or three can push one. Three can't push three, because you don't outnumber them.)

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 5.8 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0006HCY8I
• Item model number: 1856
• Our recommended age: 10 years and up
• Manufacturer recommended age: 8 years and up
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #163,962 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

A travel version of the hot French import game. A sophisticated game of strategy, Abalone takes only a few minutes to learn but a lifetime to master. Reinforces math and reasoning skills.

Product Description

Take a little French fun with you wherever you go! The strategy game that has taken Europe by storm is conquering the USA, one vacation at a time. The concept is simple: all you need to do is knock six of your opponent's marbles off the game grid. But you can only move the other player's marbles if you have more than s/he does. And, because moves are diagonal, there are dozens of options for every turn. This travel version is lightweight and compact, plus it comes with a lid, in case you need to save your game for later. Find out why this game takes five minutes to learn and a lifetime to master!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Abalone, July 17, 2008

By 

Ariane Eicke (Laramie, WY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This is a great game. Makes you think. Container could have a more solid lid for transporting purposes - it's easy to lose those little marbles! Simple and fun!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great game, case needs better design, July 31, 2008

By 

Allen Chang (Delaware, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Abalone is a great two-player game that simple to play but difficult to master. Adult's don't have that much of an advantage over kids, so this game can be enjoyed by a wide age range(as long as they understand not to put the marbles in their mouth). Playing the game requires thinking defensively and offensively in multiple directions. It has a lot of replay value since it's unlikely that two games will be the same.

The travel version is the size of other travel games and comes with a translucent cover. Unfortunately, there are two design flaws: 1)The cover isn't very secure. I keep the game in the box otherwise I would end up looking all over my bag for the marbles. 2)The cover doesn't secure to the bottom of the board.

Verdict: If you like games without complicated rules, this is one for you.

3.0 out of 5 stars great game, so-so version, October 1, 2011

By 

Mark Pulley (SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI, US) - See all my reviews

= Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Travel Abalone (Toy)

Ok, Abalone is a great game, but I don't love the travel version. I mainly have three complaints. One, it's small. The marbles are so small that it's hard to play the game. Two, the marbles aren't uniform and don't roll and push like they should in the game (meaning you have to often move one marble at a time instead of push, which is sad because that's the fun of the game). Lastly, the cover (as other people have mentioned), isn't very tight. It doesn't really do much to save a game. I've come back and found the marbles have spilled out or shifted into different spots.

Ultimately, I think the game Abalone is a fun and strategic abstract game that is one of my favorites, but the travel version isn't as good as the full size version. Unless you absolutely need the small form factor, get the original. It's not a total loss though. I'll use this version when I go to board game clubs.