The Battle of Lizard 2019

In The Battle of Lizard, a.k.a. 蜥蓋, players each control a group of lizards on an island competing for survival — long-term survival, that is, because when breeding time arrives, these male lizards (Uta stansburiana) will fight one another for land and the right to reproduction. To succeed, you need to block others to keep them from reproducing!

To set up the game, shuffle the cards, then deal everyone a hand of six cards, placing the other cards aside as a draw deck. Players then take turns playing a card from their hand onto the table in the breeding competition area, then refilling their hand. Cards may be rotated, but not flipped over, and a player may choose to cover other cards or place their card next to others.

As soon as someone creates a chain of five identical lizards either orthogonally or diagonally, the game ends and the player who owns this color of lizard wins. If players run out of cards, they take turns moving uncovered cards to connect or cover other cards until someone wins.