There is something deeply satisfying about putting things in order. Whether it’s a bookshelf or a hand of cards, our brains just love it when a plan comes together. IPSO takes that feeling and turns it into a fast-paced "construction game".
At its heart, this acronym for Include, Plan, Score, Optimize, is about turning chaos into a masterpiece. You start with 14 cards face down, a pyramid of secrets waiting to be revealed. One by one, you’ll swap them for the numbers in the center, trying to build rows that flow perfectly from low to high.
The magic of the game lies in the choices you make! Do you take that blue 45 now to secure your middle row, or do you wait, hoping for a lower number to keep your options open? Every card you flip over is a moment of truth. There’s a specific kind of joy in watching a row of cards finally click into place. It’s like finding the last piece of a puzzle you didn't know you were solving.
And there is a cherry on top of that cake: your Star card sits there like a silent guardian. It’s your safety net. As the game nears its end, you face the ultimate "what if" moment: do you hold onto it for the guaranteed points, or do you discard it for one final swap to fix a broken row?
IPSO is a game that asks you to be both a strategist and a dreamer. The pyramid is waiting so let’s get ready to scratch that "just one more game" itch. Are you ready to build your legacy, one number at a time?
https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=ipso
Our thanks to Alexandre Droit, the game designer, and the team at Gigamic for bringing this elegant challenge to BGA. A huge shoutout to darhf and BoucleMed for making the pyramids look as good as the Giza originals on the platform!
This is your Monday release.
Build your own stairway to numerical heaven one card at a time and as always take care and play fair.
