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DISCLAIMER: This is a game I won in a contest sponsored by Gaming Library. This'll in no way affect my review, but I just thought I'd put it out there for full disclosure.

Kahuna is a two-player abstract game designed by Günter Cornett and published in 1998 by Kosmos/Rio Grande Games. A game lasts around fifteen to twenty-five minutes and Kahuna is also part of the Kosmos Two-Player Series.

The theme of the game is basically non-existent, so I won't justify the lack of one with a "backstory" on why players do what they do. Suffice it to say that this is an area-control game that takes place in a cluster of islands.

I'll be doing something somewhat different in this series of reviews, as instead of writing on how it compares to similar games in its genre, I'll replace that section with my wife's thoughts on why she likes (or dislikes) a certain game. It'll be written in a brief Q & A style.

COMPONENTS:
The game comes with a set of rules (which in most part was very clear and informative), a deck of cards, a bunch of wooden sticks in two colors to represent "bridges", a colorful board, and a handful of wooden discs in two colors as well. If it matters to you, the game also comes with a serviceable insert.

The wooden pieces (both discs and sticks) are of decent quality, typical to any euro. They come in black and in white, one color for each player. The board is also of decent quality, very well designed as everything is in nice contrast and easy to read.

Picture Submitted By: Daniel Danzer || Taken From the BGG Database

The cards (each card showing a name of the island and a mini-drawing to show where the island is located) are a little flimsy though and I'd be very surprised if they don't end up showing some wear and tear after only a few plays. Sleeves are almost a must specially if you're the type who doesn't want your games to have even a single scratch on 'em.

Picture Submitted By: Ross Gerke || Taken From the BGG Database

All in all, the components could be better (or maybe I'm just too spoiled).

GAMEPLAY:
Setup is simple. You lay the board between the two participating players and after shuffling the deck of cards, deal three to each player (these will form the players' initial hands). You then deal out three more, placing them face-up beside the board and lay the remaining cards face down beside them and these cards will serve as both the draw deck and the timer for each round of the game. You are now ready to begin.

The object of the game is to be the one to score the most points in three rounds of play. The player with the most controlled islands by the end of round one score one point. The player with the most controlled islands by the end of round two scores two points. The player with the most controlled islands by the end of round three scores a number of points equal to the difference in islands between the two players (i.e. player A has 6 islands and player N has 3, so at the end of round three player A will score three points).

On a player's turn, he/she can do one of three things. First, he/she can play a card (or cards) from his/her hand to lay down a bridge on any of the lines connected to the island or play a pair of cards to remove a bridge from an island. Second, he/she can pass. Third, he/she can take a card from his/her hand and bury it in the common discard pile (placing it underneath so the other player can't read it). Whatever the player ends up doing, he/she will draw one card at the end of their turn and play passes on to the next player.

If at any time, you end up having the needed majority number of bridges coming to or from an island, you take control of that island (placing your control marker/disc there) and remove any bridges of your opponent that are connected to that island. For example, if you take control of Aloa, any bridge(s) your opponent has that is also connected to Aloe will be removed from the board. This can lead to some nasty chains as having a bridge removed from the board might end up making a player lose majority control of an island, hence removing his control marker.

Picture Submitted By: Daniel Danzer || Taken From the BGG Database

The first and second round ends when the last card from the face down draw pile is drawn (for whatever reason). The third round ends when ALL the cards from the draw pile are drawn. You then get one more action per player. After three rounds, the scores are tallied and whoever has the most points win.

Q & A W/ MY WIFE:
Q: So how'd you like the game?
A: It was okay. On a scale of one to ten, I'd give it a five or a six. I found it very nasty and I "hate" how the control of an island can be whisked away just like that. I do like how each game turns out differently though.

Q: What did you think of the components?
A: Meh.

Q: Did you find it hard to understand how to play the game?
A: No. The rules were pretty straightforward and you pretty much know what to do after a turn or two.

Q: The million dollar question... will you play it again?
A: Yes. Its not the first game I'd ask for, but I won't be reluctant to play it again in the future.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Kahuna is a nasty little game that serves as a good filler or as a quick "play before we sleep" type of game. Its easy to learn and very portable, perfect for out of town trips. Its also the type of game you can easily teach to a non-gamer and have him/her immediately grasp how it plays.

However, while I do enjoy the game, it is not (nor will it ever be) one of my favorites. Like my wife, I'd gladly play it from time to time, but it wouldn't be the first (or the second, or the third) game I pull out of the shelf. Bottomline, try before you buy.