Kolejka - the Polish game of queueing
Kolejka (Queue) is an attractively designed piece of Polish educational board-gaming which recreates the shopping "experience" endured whilst the country was under Communist rule. Admittedly that description might not grab you by the lapels but, believe me, this beautifully presented piece of Polish nostalgia has all the ingredients to give Monopoly a run for its money when it comes to causing family/friendship frictions.
The object of the game is, to western eyes, easy enough; consult your shopping list, go to the shops, buy your items. The first one to fulfil their list wins. Simples, as a CGI Meerkat might say. However, the complexities of the Soviet consumer experience (which I vaguely recall from my A-level Politics & Government course) are not so user-friendly. It's not as straightforward an experience as popping along to the nearest Tesco to get all you need.
So far, so straightforward. However although there are five shops on the board not all of them will receive deliveries; what shops receive items, and how many of each item will be received, is unknown until each round begins. A shuffled stack of item cards are placed, face down, in the centre area of the board; only by turning over a number of cards at the start of each round will players know what's available and where from (with the number of item cards issued per round dependent on the number of players involved).
If you're at the front of a queue at one of the shops lucky to receive stock you're guaranteed to receive an item. Well, no, not necessarily (and this is where things can become heated). Each player has a stack of event cards available, shuffled, which a limited number can be used each turn. These cards assist players to ensure they can get what they need, ostensibly often at the expense of their fellow players. Amongst the cards are such gems as being able to barge your way to the front of the queue, call in a favour with a local Party official to get preferential treatment or even fingering the player ahead of you in line as making a comment against the Party (losing them their lose their place in the queue).
Players can also force a shop to close for stock-taking, locking the received item so that another player can't obtain it (even if they're at the head of the queue). This action may force them to the Black Market, a consumer paradise where it can cost you two items to get one you actually need. Soon enough what starts as a nice, if slightly peculiar, game turns into a cut-throat romp, with player turning against player with a joyously petty vindictiveness; my Politics & Government lecturer would be proud.
The item cards are colour coded for the type of shop they're for, with each card printed with a suitably nostalgic Communist-era product to suit its shop type. Amongst the items available are a very nice lamp, some interesting tea and a range of fashion that is probably back in vogue right now.
Kolejka isn't the only game that the IPN has produced; 303 is a two-hander inspired by the actions of 303 Squadron, one of the 16 Polish squadrons in the RAF during World War 2, which the recent film Hurricane tells the story of.
The game mechanics are simple to learn, there's not too much re-reading of the rules for clarification involved, and it also teaches you about a part of recent history that those of us who grew up on the Western side of the Iron Curtain are most likely all too ignorant about. It's definitely worth a play if you can find it, ebay or BGG may be your best bets, and I'd absolutely play it again.
Players > Minimum 2, Maximum 5
Game Time > Between 15 and 50 minutes, depending on player numbers
Maker > IPN
Designer > Karol Madaj
Artists > Natalia Baranowska, Marta Malesińska, Marta Przybył
BGG Link > Kolejka
The object of the game is, to western eyes, easy enough; consult your shopping list, go to the shops, buy your items. The first one to fulfil their list wins. Simples, as a CGI Meerkat might say. However, the complexities of the Soviet consumer experience (which I vaguely recall from my A-level Politics & Government course) are not so user-friendly. It's not as straightforward an experience as popping along to the nearest Tesco to get all you need.
Playing The Game
The game plays up to 5 players, each of whom is assigned a different coloured team of Meeples (representing your family members) before drawing their shopping lists at random. With the first-turn player established, and after each player has consulted their shopping list, players distribute their Meeples amongst the queues outside the various shops on the board. Once completed the Black Market Meeples (which is, yes, a good name for a band) take their place at the end of the queues and the game is good to go.
So far, so straightforward. However although there are five shops on the board not all of them will receive deliveries; what shops receive items, and how many of each item will be received, is unknown until each round begins. A shuffled stack of item cards are placed, face down, in the centre area of the board; only by turning over a number of cards at the start of each round will players know what's available and where from (with the number of item cards issued per round dependent on the number of players involved).
If you're at the front of a queue at one of the shops lucky to receive stock you're guaranteed to receive an item. Well, no, not necessarily (and this is where things can become heated). Each player has a stack of event cards available, shuffled, which a limited number can be used each turn. These cards assist players to ensure they can get what they need, ostensibly often at the expense of their fellow players. Amongst the cards are such gems as being able to barge your way to the front of the queue, call in a favour with a local Party official to get preferential treatment or even fingering the player ahead of you in line as making a comment against the Party (losing them their lose their place in the queue).
Players can also force a shop to close for stock-taking, locking the received item so that another player can't obtain it (even if they're at the head of the queue). This action may force them to the Black Market, a consumer paradise where it can cost you two items to get one you actually need. Soon enough what starts as a nice, if slightly peculiar, game turns into a cut-throat romp, with player turning against player with a joyously petty vindictiveness; my Politics & Government lecturer would be proud.
Look & Feel
The game is beautifully presented; the box art nodding at the traditional 'brown paper parcel tied up with string' and the board area laid out in a toned down, drab, colour-scheme. The event cards feature arty caricatures of the action featured, which assist in identifying what the card means (however, if your Polish is as lousy as mine, English cards and rules are downloadable from the net).
The item cards are colour coded for the type of shop they're for, with each card printed with a suitably nostalgic Communist-era product to suit its shop type. Amongst the items available are a very nice lamp, some interesting tea and a range of fashion that is probably back in vogue right now.
Thank The Makers
The game has some hefty credentials, having been produced by the Instytut Pamięci Narodowej (the Institute of Polish Remembrance), an organisation tasked with examining Polish history which has undertaken investigations into both Nazi war crimes during WW2 and human rights abuses undertaken in Poland during the Revolutions of 1989.Kolejka isn't the only game that the IPN has produced; 303 is a two-hander inspired by the actions of 303 Squadron, one of the 16 Polish squadrons in the RAF during World War 2, which the recent film Hurricane tells the story of.
Summing Up
Admittedly this is an oddity, and a game of standing in line may not be to all tastes, but don't be put off by its apparent simplicity; this is an anti-Monopoly which could very easily cause the same level of family argument (although, thankfully, gameplay isn't nearly as long-winded or drawn out as its Capitalist cousin).The game mechanics are simple to learn, there's not too much re-reading of the rules for clarification involved, and it also teaches you about a part of recent history that those of us who grew up on the Western side of the Iron Curtain are most likely all too ignorant about. It's definitely worth a play if you can find it, ebay or BGG may be your best bets, and I'd absolutely play it again.
One last thing...
As mentioned previously the English rules and cards are available via the internet, however other different languages of the game have been created too (there's a Romanian version, Stai la coadă, and a multilingual version (which includes English, German, French, Russian & Japanese rules and paste ups) is also available). An expansion to the game has also been released; Ogonek (Line) adds a sixth player to the mix, new event cards, Trybuna Ludu (People's Tribune) cards (publishing news from the authorities which has a direct effect on game play) and, for adult's only, an Off Licence (or liquor store if you prefer).Players > Minimum 2, Maximum 5
Game Time > Between 15 and 50 minutes, depending on player numbers
Maker > IPN
Designer > Karol Madaj
Artists > Natalia Baranowska, Marta Malesińska, Marta Przybył
BGG Link > Kolejka
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