Kattam Vilayattu–II from Kreeda is another magnificent title from this cardboard-packaged, charmingly-ethnic, shells-for-play counters series. The instruction sheet is an uninspiring black and white affair, which could have been vastly improved at no additional printing cost, with some simple relevant graphics and a more inviting font choice.
Priced at `90, Kattam Vilayattu-II is an amazing buy. The tacky instruction sheet is no more than an irritant, and more so because it doesn’t do justice to everything else about the game. The game is riveting strategy play. The board is a small square of canvas, with the familiar Kreeda flat colours in red, yellow, green and black. The simple kolam-styled borders complete a delightfully-vivid game board design.
Each player gets three shells. The white miniature conch shells are beautiful. Unlike another Kreeda game I bought, the shells had been cleaned this time around. So when moving them on the board, I wasn’t leaving a trail of sand wherever I plotted a move! The shells fit into a cute (the word immediately comes to mind when you see it) drawstring pouch in an elegant burgundy. Remember that dropping play counters in this case will most likely leave you with broken shells. Playing the game with standard issue Ludo discs just won’t be the same! Going alternately, players place their three shells on nine junction points of the 2x2 grid. Subsequent moves take you from one junction to the adjacent vacant junction.
Kattam Vilayattu instructions suggest that the game is based on naughts and crosses. I’m happy to debate this. The winner is the first to get three shells in a row, and the similarity ends there as far as I’m concerned. In Kattam, moves are a lot more dynamic, with all shells being mobile.
I tried the game for the first time on board the Shatabadi. The noisy little children across the aisle went very quiet and curious – the colours, the shells. And some distraction from harassing their hapless grandparents, I’d imagine! The passenger beside me played indulgently, learning the rules with me. Each game lasted about five to eight minutes. You’d imagine that with such a small play area, after a few successive rounds, you’d quickly discover set moves. That wasn’t the case as it turned out. Some ten rounds later, we were more or less even. And I was delighted that Kreeda had designed and introduced yet another charming classic!
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