Quarto has been among the best selling two-player games in our stores for the past several years. This is another game which is nice to touch and see. The rules are quickly taught. One of our staffers is so good at this game, we've occasionally offered a prize to the customer who can beat him in front of witnesses -- a safe offer.

The twist to the game is that your opponent gets to pick the piece that you must place during your turn, and vice versa! The winner is the one to place the fourth-in-a-row with any one feature in common. Each piece is a wooden block which is either cylindrical or square; tall or short; light or dark; and hollow or solid. A "Quarto" is four-in-a-row with any one of these qualities in common, e.g. all cylindrical or all hollow or all dark. Don't overlook height! You can win with four short pieces in a row, regardless of color, shape, or solidity.

Despite the longish description here, Quarto is actually quite simple to learn, very interesting to play, and nice to see and touch.