In the game Skyliners by Z-Man Games www.zmangames.com, two to four players take turns building a skyline of skyscrapers on a shared building plot. But each player is trying to build a skyline from his or her perspective.
The actual board that the game Skyliners is played on is a five by five grid. Each player gets some cool looking building blocks in their player color to start building with. They also receive a different secret card showing a certain part of the grid where their tallest building needs to be at the end of the game to score some bonus points. All players also receive a similar set of scoring cards that have different ways to get points.
First the board is populated by a random setup with neutral colored building blocks and play begins. Players take turns placing blocks on the board based on how they want to score. Each row can be built in different configurations. Should a tall building be built in the first row? Or should buildings of different heights be built one after the other in a row in increasing heights.
Each player has a scoring card for each of the board's five rows (A through E) and must decide which configuration on the card they are trying to achieve for a particular row. For example, if a player wants to build four buildings of increasing height in row A, they will not only need to build it but also place the scoring card in the building office for it to count for points.
Players take turns placing one of their building pieces in a plot available on the board in an attempt to match the correct image on their point cards. When another player takes a turn, he or she may place a building piece on any player's buildings unless it has been capped by a building top. When players feel they have met the requirements for a point card, they throw it in the building office face down until the end of the game. But things are always changing.
The game ends when the last building brick is placed on the board and players can take a moment to enjoy the beautiful 3D skyline they have built. A cool cardboard seagull counter flies around the perimeter of the board keeping track of points. Bonus point cards are withdrawn from the building office and checked against the final configuration of the board to see who scores.
Skyliners is a simple, straightforward and satisfying gaming experience that is different from other games on the market. If a person can place a plastic piece on a board, he or she can play this game. The content of the game is appropriate for kids and families, and the rules are written well and are easy to understand. Playing time is 30 minutes or less.