This forces ALL sand timers to immediately be turned over. Storms: When you draw a Storm card, you say, “A storm is coming.” Then, on your next turn, you must play the Storm card.And Send it SoaringĪs if the six sand timers weren’t enough (and, trust me, they’re easily enough for your first several times playing Kites), the game includes three sets of ‘special’ cards that can be shuffled into the deck of kite cards: Players must run through all the cards in their hands before that (or any other) timer runs out. Now, the white/Rainbow & Cloud timer can no longer be turned over. Once all the cards have been drawn from the deck, the endgame gets triggered. The red/Diamond kite, for instance, has a quick 30 seconds of sand the orange/Box kite as 45 seconds the yellow/Star kite and the white/Rainbow & Cloud have 60 seconds the blue/Flexifoil has75 seconds the purple/Delta kite has a leisurely 90 seconds.

To make things even more interesting, each sand timer has a different amount of sand. If at any point, any of the six sand timers run out of sand, the game ends immediately. Playing either of them will mean the sand timers of both colors shown in the upper corners are turned over.Īs long as the sand timer still has sand running down, that kite is still in the air. The modified delta (phoenix) kite and the inflated star kite each have two colors. Playing one of them allows you to turn over the timer of that color -or- the white timer. The red diamond kite, the orange box kite and the blue parafoil are single kite/color cards. Turn over the multiple sand timers matching the multiple kites on the card you just played.Īnd then draw another card from the deck.Or, instead, use the single kite card to turn over the White sand timer.(There are no white/Rainbow & Cloud cards.).Turn over the single sand timer that matches the single kite on the card.Beth Sobel’s art makes for some beautiful images of kites.ĭepending on the card, the player will then either: The first time you play a card matching a particular kite, that sand timer is stood up. On a turn, players will reveal a card from their hand in front of them. The six sand timers/kites that give Kites its tension. The white sand timer is a special kite that you must kept aloft as well, but whose primary function comes into play at the end of the game. If a single kite falls to the ground, everyone loses.įive of the six sand timers represent the kites, each a different color with a unique kite design on the top of the timers. Kites is a cooperative game where players are working together to keep all their kites in the air. Then stand the white sand timer up as everyone picks up their cards.Īnd now you’re ready to start playing. Place the remaining cards within easy access of all players.Ĭhoose a starting player. Shuffle the deck of kite cards and, based on player count, deal out a number of cards to each player. Then lay them down on their side within reach of everyone at the table. Take all six of the differently colored sand timers and make sure the sand is at the bottom section of the timers. Setup is about as easy as getting your kite aloft in a pleasant breeze. When I found out how, I jumped at the chance to give it a try. ‘How are you going to make a game about kites?’ I wondered. When a game called Kites from Floodgate Games came up on our radar, I was skeptical. I left with both a considerable knowledge and collection of kites and boomerangs, as well as some really good friends. I came to that job knowing next to nothing about anything in the store. It was a great job, working for a great guy (Hi, Chuck!) and with great people, (Hi, My Fellow KiteSiteers!) surrounded by kites and flying toys. – Let’s Go Fly a Kite by Richard Sherman and Robert Shermanįrom the 1964 Walt Disney film Mary Poppins Kites: The Boxīack in the early-to-mid ‘80s I was the night manager of The Kite Site in Georgetown, DC.

Rainbow column kite clipart