Flows: The Interconnection Game

A game that brings to life how data flows through Internet networks. Put simply, over the course of the game, from two to five participants seek to avoid busy city centres and routes blocked by diggers to deliver data blocks from one city Internet Exchange to another.

Data, however, scores differently and is also subject to cyber attacks from other nasty trouble-making players. But at the end of the day, the first player to fifteen points can celebrate a well-earned victory.

How to Play: There are a variable number of rounds, with each player, during their individual turn, able to perform any two of the following actions:

Bring a data block into play Move a data block along a route Carry out a cyber-attack

The core of the game are the Location tokens. Each location token bears the name of a location on the board where there is an Internet Exchange. From time to time, players either leave these locations or have to reach them to deliver their data blocks and gain the points they need to win the game. Players need to find a container where they can put the tokens, shake them well, and then pick them out one by one as the game progresses. Data are represented by wooden cubes; they move along the routes on the playing board towards the locations that host Internet Exchanges.

In addition, players can place a digger (only one) on any route after finishing their turn and before the turn passes to the next player. Placing a digger on a route blocks the route.

-description from designer