Review: Stacking Trilogy

Introduction & Overview

A stacking game trilogy representing the early stage of Dieter Stein’s career.

This is the premise behind Stacking Trilogy, which brings together three designs by Dieter Stein (Mixtour, Ordo): Abande, Attangle, and Accasta Pari. First published in 2026 by Kanare_Abstract in an English and Japanese edition, with graphic design handled by Kanare Kato himself.

It is not published in Spain, so you will need to resort to the import or second-hand market to get a copy (the games are completely language-independent, except for the rulebooks). It caters to 2 players, with a recommended minimum age of 8 and an approximate duration of 30 minutes. The retail price is €19.95. For this review, a copy of the English and Japanese edition from Kanare_Abstract was used, kindly provided by the publisher as a review copy.

Important: if you already know the game and/or are only interested in my opinion about it, you can go directly to the Opinion section. The Content and Mechanics sections are especially intended for those who do not know the game and prefer to get a general idea of how it works.

Go to Personal Opinion

Components

Inside a two-piece cardboard box (lid and bottom), measuring 11.1 × 11.1 × 2.8 cm (a small square box similar to the mini series from Gerhards Spiel und Design), we find the following items:

• Double-sided board (cloth)
• 40 Discs (20 in each color) (wooden)
• 3 Rulebooks

How to Play

Stacking Trilogy is a set of three abstract games for two players. The first is Abande, in which each participant seeks to control stacks adjacent to those of their opponent on a hexagonal board, while always keeping all pieces connected in a single continuous group. On each turn, the active player must add a disc from their reserve to an empty intersection adjacent to any piece, or move one of their stacks onto an orthogonally adjacent opponent stack to pile on top of it (respecting a maximum height limit of three discs and without breaking the group’s connectivity). Passing is only possible when a player has exhausted all discs in hand and cannot make any legal moves. The game ends when both players pass consecutively. At that point, the score is calculated: each controlled stack scores as many points as its height (one to three points), provided it remains in direct contact with at least one opposing stack; isolated stacks score zero. The player with the highest total score is declared the winner. The second game is Attangle, where the goal is to trap and neutralize opposing pieces by forming towers under one’s control through pincer movements converging from two directions. Participants alternate turns without the option to pass. On their turn, the active player must choose between introducing a disc from their reserve onto any empty intersection of the board (except for the central point) or performing a capture. To capture, the player must simultaneously move two of their own pieces or stacks in a straight line toward an enemy stack from two different angles or trajectories, placing them on top of the captured piece and immediately returning the top friendly disc to their personal reserve, always ensuring that the resulting tower does not exceed a height of three discs and that the top remains under their own color. The game ends immediately when a player manages to create three height-3 stacks under their control, claiming victory, or when a player has no legal moves on their turn, resulting in defeat. Lastly, the third game is Accasta Pari, in which each contender aims to infiltrate and conquer enemy territory with their towers. Beginning from an initial setup at opposite ends of the hexagonal board, players alternate turns moving stacks under their control in a straight line, advancing an exact distance equal to the number of discs of their own color contained within that stack. The active player can move the entire tower or split off a top section to move it, and may even chain multiple consecutive moves on the same turn if, after splitting, the remaining base stays under their control; pieces can merge with other stacks upon landing on them (without exceeding the limit of three discs of a single color per tower). The game concludes at the start of a player’s turn if they have three or more stacks under their control located inside the enemy castle area, winning the game, or if a participant runs out of available legal moves, losing automatically.

Key Concepts

Let us start with the Board, the central element. It is a hexagonal surface featuring a triangular grid that yields 37 intersections or vertices where pieces are placed and moved. In Abande, this board functions as an open space where all pieces must always remain connected, forming a single continuous group or band throughout the game. In Attangle, the board features a specific circular mark at its center intersection, which cannot be used to place pieces from hand, though it may be crossed during capture maneuvers. In Accasta Pari, the board outlines two shaded zones at opposite ends called castles, corresponding to each player’s starting territory and acting as the target area that the opponent must invade to secure victory.

The Discs represent the components that players manipulate. In Abande, they enter the board progressively from personal reserves adjacent to pieces already present, or move onto adjacent opposing pieces to form stacks up to three discs high, keeping in mind that at game end only stacks that remain in contact with opposing stacks will score points. In Attangle, they are placed on empty intersections (except the center) or used to execute pincer captures converging from two different directions onto an opposing piece; after this, the top piece of the resulting stack is removed and returned to the player’s reserve, with the ultimate objective of erecting three height-3 stacks under one’s control. Finally, in Accasta Pari, pieces start entirely deployed on the board forming stacks inside their respective castle, with the number of friendly discs in a tower determining the straight-line distance that stack (or part of it) can move over other pieces or into empty spaces.

That is enough to get started.

Setup

Depending on the chosen game:

• Abande:
  • Place the board in the center of the table, completely empty.
  • Each player chooses a color and receives the 18 pieces of that color, keeping them in their personal reserve.
  • Determine which player will control the black pieces and which will take the white ones.
  • The player with the black pieces becomes the starting player.
• Attangle:
  • Place the board in the center of the table, completely empty.
  • Each player chooses a color and receives the 18 pieces of that color, keeping them in their personal reserve.
  • Determine which player will control the white pieces and which will take the black ones.
  • The player with the white pieces becomes the starting player.
• Accasta Pari:
  • Place the board in the center of the table, oriented so that each player’s castle area faces them directly.
  • Each player chooses a color and receives the 20 pieces of that color.
  • In addition, each player sets up their pieces in their respective castle area as follows:
    • In the outer row closest to the edge, form four stacks of three pieces on the corresponding intersections.
    • In the middle row, form three stacks of two pieces.
    • In the innermost, most advanced row, place two single pieces on the two intersections.
  • Determine which player will control the white pieces and which will take the black ones.
  • The player with the white pieces becomes the starting player.

We are ready to begin!

Game Flow

Game I: Abande

A game of Abande unfolds across an indeterminate number of alternating turns between both players, starting with the player controlling the black pieces. On their opening turn, the player with the black pieces must place one of their discs on any empty intersection of the board. From that moment on, players alternate turns.

On each turn, the active player must perform one of the following actions:

• Add a Piece. The player places a piece from their reserve onto an empty intersection adjacent to any stack or piece already on the board (regardless of which player owns it). This action cannot be chosen if the player has no pieces left in their reserve.
• Move a Stack. The player moves one of the stacks under their control (those whose top piece matches their color) onto an adjacent opposing stack, piling on top of it. This option is only available from the black player’s second placement turn onward, and must adhere to the following restrictions:
  • The entire stack must be moved; never just a part of it.
  • The resulting stack can never exceed a maximum height of 3 pieces.
  • The move must never break the continuity of the group; all pieces on the board must always form a single connected cluster.
• Pass. The player passes their turn without performing any action. This option is only permitted if the player has no pieces left in their personal reserve. If a player has no legal moves on their turn and has no pieces in hand, they are forced to pass.

After this, the turn passes to the opponent.

Game II: Attangle

A game of Attangle is played over an indeterminate number of alternating turns between both players, starting with the player controlling the white pieces. Passing is not permitted under any circumstances in this game.

On each turn, the active player must perform one of the following two actions:

• Add a Piece. The player places a piece from their reserve onto an empty intersection of the board, with the exception of the central intersection (marked with a black dot), where a piece can never be placed directly.
• Capture an Opponent’s Stack. The player traps an opponent’s piece or stack in a pincer maneuver converging from two distinct straight-line directions, discarding one of the active player’s pieces. This proceeds as follows:
  • The player selects two of their controlled stacks and moves them in a straight line toward the target enemy stack, landing on top of it.
  • Both paths may form any angle relative to each other, but the route between each attacking stack and the target stack must be entirely unobstructed (the central point may indeed be crossed during a capture move).
  • The height of the resulting stack can under no circumstances exceed 3 pieces after resolving the capture (excluding one of the two top pieces from the moved stacks). Therefore, the valid capture combinations are:
    • Two single pieces onto an opponent’s single piece.
    • Two single pieces onto an opponent’s height-2 stack.
    • One single piece and a height-2 stack onto an opponent’s single piece (always ensuring that a friendly piece ends up on top).

After resolving the capture and stacking the pieces, the player removes the top piece of the newly formed stack and returns it to their personal reserve, passing the turn to the opponent.

Game III: Accasta Pari

A game of Accasta Pari unfolds over a series of alternating turns between both players, starting with the player with the white pieces.

On their turn, the active player is required to move a stack under their control (one whose top piece is of their color); passing is not allowed. When moving a stack, the following rules apply:

• Movement Capacity and Distance. A stack moves in a straight line an exact number of spaces equal to the number of discs of its own color contained within it at the start of the move (opposing pieces inside the stack do not contribute to movement distance).
• Splitting Stacks. The player may move the entire stack or take any number of pieces from the top to move them together as a new stack, preserving their order. The distance to travel remains determined by the total number of friendly pieces in the original stack.
• Destination and Blocking. A stack cannot jump over other pieces. If the destination space is occupied by another stack (whether friendly or opposing), the moving stack lands directly on top, merging with it.
• Stacking Limit. A stack can only contain a maximum of 3 pieces of the same color (making 6 pieces the theoretical maximum height for a mixed-color stack). Any move resulting in a stack with more than 3 pieces of the same color is illegal.
• Consecutive Moves. If a player splits a stack and the portion remaining on the origin space stays under their control (its new top piece is still of their color), they may continue moving that remaining portion during the very same turn. The distance of this subsequent move is calculated based on the friendly pieces in that remaining stack. Because the maximum number of friendly pieces in a stack is 3, a player can chain up to a maximum of three moves in a single turn. If splitting a stack exposes an opponent’s piece, chaining further moves is not permitted.

Following this, the turn passes to the opponent.

Game End

• Abande:
  • The game ends immediately after the turn in which both players have passed consecutively. At that point, final scoring takes place. For each stack directly adjacent to at least one opposing stack, the owner scores points equal to the height of that stack. The player with the highest total score is declared the winner. In the event of a tie, the game ends in a draw.
• Attangle:
  • The game ends immediately when either of the following conditions is met:
  • Three Stacks of Height 3. The first player to control three height-3 stacks is immediately declared the winner.
  • Stalemate. If a player cannot make any legal moves on their turn, the game ends immediately, with the opponent declared the winner.
• Accasta Pari:
  • The game ends immediately when either of the following conditions is met:
  • Castle Infiltration. If, at the start of their turn, a player controls 3 or more stacks located inside their opponent’s castle area, they immediately win the game.
  • Stalemate. If a player cannot make any legal moves on their turn, the game ends immediately, with the opponent declared the winner.

Personal Opinion

We are living in a golden age for abstract game compendiums. Publishers have tapped into the potential of leveraging the minimalist physical footprint of these designs to bundle several experiences into a single box, maximizing the use of shared boards and pieces. Moving well beyond the grab-bag nature of traditional classic game compilations, these modern anthologies breathe new life into out-of-print titles or showcase the career trajectory of specific designers.

Examples like the anthologies from Lemery Games or Wild Duo demonstrate the commercial appeal of this approach. The format is enticing because it lowers production costs, saves shelf space, and multiplies the gameplay experiences delivered in a single purchase, even if it comes with the initial doubt of whether every title in the box will maintain a consistent quality level.

Today we are going to look at one of these all-in-one abstract collections. Specifically, a trilogy of early designs by the great Dieter Stein (the mind behind fantastic abstracts like Mixtour, Ordo, Urbino, Volo, or the unpronounceable Lass die Kirche im Dorf!). We will see how each design performs on the table, but not before thanking Kanare_abstract for providing the review copy that makes this write-up possible.

The common thread uniting this Stacking Trilogy is, as the name implies, piece stacking—a mechanic that justifies the title and bonds all three designs under a unified philosophy. Dieter Stein avoids unnecessary ornamentation and relies on towers of increasing height to resolve captures, area control, and movement modulation. In Abande, heights determine scoring along a continuous frontline; in Attangle, topping three stacks at height three secures victory; and in Accasta Pari, the accumulated volume dictates the speed and reach of movement. It is a shared premise that takes a distinct mechanical shape in each game.

I will begin with the one I found least satisfying: Accasta Pari. This is not because it is a poor design; in fact, it offers the most sophisticated gameplay arc thanks to its chained movement rules. The mechanism is reminiscent of Tak (read the tocho-review here), allowing players to dismantle stacks and split them up to unleash the momentum of a tower packed with their own pieces.

Another concept in the game that I really appreciate is the need to reach an irreversible winning position. I am a huge fan of games that build toward a checkmate-style scenario where the opponent has just one turn to stave off defeat, forcing both players to project moves far into the future.

The drawback lies entirely in the physical format. This is a game that requires players to constantly assemble and disassemble disc stacks. Carrying this out on a compact cloth board using discs that lack meaningful thickness and feature no interlocking mechanism to ensure stability inevitably leads to a play session riddled with accidents.

One could easily mistake it for a hybrid abstract-dexterity game testing fine motor skills. If a player is slightly clumsy, the collapse of stacks reaching up to six pieces high will become an ongoing ordeal, bringing a fair amount of frustration along with it. It is an unfortunate flaw, especially since it is mechanically the deepest design of the three.

Next up is Attangle. This game produces an interactive dynamic akin to classics like Reversi, where players place pieces across the board to threaten enemy positions—in this case, via converging flanking attacks from two directions. What makes it compelling is how a player can place a disc on a subsequent turn with a dual purpose.

Defensively, a disc can be placed on an intersection lying directly in the path of one of the two pieces the opponent was using to threaten a friendly stack. At the same time, that very placement might forge a brand-new threat by forming an attack angle alongside an existing piece against an opposing stack.

I appreciate how capturing requires the active player to “sacrifice” one of their pieces, reducing their presence on the board. Similarly, the sudden-death finish triggered upon claiming a third height-3 stack works remarkably well, as towers of that height become locked and can no longer be altered for the rest of the game. All things considered, I find this to be the most satisfying title in the trilogy.

Finally, we have Abande, which borrows its central concept from that abstract masterpiece Hive (read the tocho-review here)—namely, that all pieces on the board must maintain a cohesive group, meaning every piece can be traced to any other through occupied intersections.

Captures bring to mind the beetle’s movement in Hive: a piece simply steps onto an opposing piece to claim control, though without guaranteeing permanent ownership right away, since just like in Attangle, only stacks of height three become locked.

The intriguing aspect here is not merely building toward maximum height without breaking the group’s connectivity, but keeping your stacks close to the opponent’s forces. Any piece or stack controlled by a player that does not remain directly adjacent to an opponent’s piece scores nothing during final scoring (making this the only title in the box without a sudden-death ending).

This dynamic evokes memories of ZÈRTZ (read the tocho-review here), where play ebbs and flows between deployment and capture phases, producing a hot-potato tension that ramps up with every turn until players initiate captures once someone creates an opening. It is the breeziest of the three and the easiest in terms of combinatorial calculation, as players naturally deploy pieces to pin opposing ones and prevent captures that would split the cluster.

When ranking the trilogy, Attangle takes the top spot as my favorite design, followed closely by Abande, leaving Accasta Pari in third place purely due to practical table usability. Overall, this is a solid compilation that could easily have seen individual releases; getting three games in a single small box is great value.

Moving on to production quality, we find a satin cloth board that is practical and travel-friendly, consistent with previous releases from this publisher. The only caveat is that while keeping cloth boards clean already demands care, the double-sided nature here requires extra caution. The wooden discs are adequate, though perhaps a bit too small for stacking, making towering stacks in Accasta Pari prone to accidental tip-overs. The rulebooks are well laid out, crystal clear, and supported by plenty of helpful illustrations.

And let’s wrap this up. Stacking Trilogy delivers three distinct abstract experiences connected by a shared stacking mechanism. It is fascinating to see how such an elementary premise yields diverse dynamics, ranging from the suffocating tactical tension of crossfire captures and calculated sacrifices aiming for sudden death, to continuous battle lines where pinning opposing pieces ratchets up the tension turn by turn. However, the overall experience suffers from some unevenness: while two of the games flow smoothly, the most ambitious and mechanically deep design is hampered by an austere physical production that gets in the way of play. Despite that drawback, it remains an engaging collection of designs packed neatly into a single box. For all these reasons, I rate it a…