News: Classic Kramer/Kiesling 'Mask Trilogy' Will Get a Reprint

In my early days of this great hobby, I played Tikal--a game about exploring Central America, and looking for lost temples and treasures. It was part of a trilogy of games that Ravensburger dubbed the Mask Trilogy--connected by a similar mechanism of using Action Points to do things that score you VPs. The games have been in and out of print over the years, but it looks like they're on their way in, thanks to a new publisher called Super Meeple.

The first one they're reprinting is Mexica, a game about building canals and ziggurats in Mexico. It's probably the least popular game in the series, but I (Firestone) have always liked it quite a bit. The new version looks to play largely the same--though they're adding a 2-player variant from the Geek. But the components and artwork are getting a major overhaul. For one thing, the Mask aspect is gone. Each of the games featured a stylized mask on the cover, but that's done now. Mexica's ziggurats were functional, but very garish in their colors. Technology has advanced in the last 13 years, such that they can now create them out of a realistic resin that looks like stone. It's very cool! The bridges and player pawns will also see an upgrade. Super Meeple chose Mexica as the first game to reprint precisely because they can showcase the new components. 

It looks like we'll see Java again in 2016, and Tikal in 2017. IELLO is handling distribution here in the States, but that will depend on if Rio Grande Games still owns the rights to distribute these here. (They still list Tikal on their Web site.)

At any rate, these are terrific games that deserve to see the light again. Have you played them? Which one is your favorite? (Mine is Java, even though the festivals are kinda wonky.) Thanks for reading!