Tak: A Beautiful Game

“My next several hours were spent learning how to play Tak. Even if I had not been nearly mad with idleness, I would have enjoyed it. Tak is the best sort of game: simple in its rules, complex in its strategy. Bredon beat me handily in all five games we played, but I am proud to say that he never beat me the same way twice.” -Kvothe, The Wise Man’s Fear Patrick Rothfuss first introduced Tak in the second installment of the Kingkiller Chronicle, The Wise Man’s Fear. However, the rules were not introduced in the book, because at the time there were none! Ernest and Rothfuss have brought Tak to life in an elegant two-player abstract strategy game reminiscent of classics like Go and mancala. The classic edition of Tak includes enough pieces for a 6×6 game as well as a beautiful double-sided board, decorated with selas flowers on one side and a rough wooden texture on the other.