Review: Ayar – Children of the Sun

Introduction & Overview

Viracocha created Inti, the Sun God, and Mama Quilla, the Moon Goddess. They emerged from Lake Titicaca as one: husband and wife, sister and brother. But Inti looked upon Mama Quilla’s glow with jealousy and threw ash over her so she would not shine brighter than him. Together they fathered four sons and four daughters—the Ayar pairs—who would emerge from Tiwanaku, south of the great lake, alongside the ten minor clans of the first settlers. The Ayar would be tasked with finding fertile land at the center of the universe to found the Tawantinsuyu empire, while teaching the clans the necessary skills to build a civilization. As the four Ayar pairs traversed the lands northward, one by one they would meet their fate—trapped in a cave or turned to stone—until only one pair remained. The final Ayar pair would survive to receive the honor of bearing the golden staff and founding the Tawantinsuyu empire, standing at its head as the Sapa Inca and the Coya.

This is how we are presented with Ayar: Children of the Sun, a design by Mandela Fernandez-Grandon and Fabio Lopiano, responsible for Sankoré: The Pride of Mansa Musa. First published in 2025 by Osprey Games in an English edition. Illustrations are handled by Ian O’Toole (Lisboa, Railway Boom).

It is not published in Spain, so you will have to resort to the import or secondhand market to get a copy (the game is completely language-independent). It supports games for 1 to 4 players, with a suggested minimum age of 14 and an approximate duration between 60 and 90 minutes. The MSRP is €69.99. For this review, a review copy of the English edition from Osprey Games was used.

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 29.7×29.7×5 cm. (a square box with similar dimensions to Brass), we find the following elements:

• Main Board (cardboard)
• Lake Board (cardboard)
• 4 Player Boards (cardboard)
• Bag (cloth)
• 30 Pottery Tokens (cardboard)
• 40 Llamas (wooden)
• 8 Raymi Tiles (cardboard)
• 8 Ayar Pawns (4 pairs: 4 male Ayar and 4 female Ayar) (wooden)
• 40 Viracocha Tokens (cardboard)
• 64 Textile Tiles (cardboard)
• 5 Activity Tokens (cardboard)
• First Player Marker (wooden)
• 4 Inti Dials (cardboard) (1 of each color)
• 16 Bonus Markers (4 of each color) (cardboard)
• 16 Temple Tiles (4 of each color) (cardboard)
• 4 Sun Tokens (1 of each color) (wooden)
• 4 Moon Tokens (1 of each color) (wooden)
• 24 Island Tokens (6 cardboard) (cardboard)
• 4 Reference Cards (56×87 mm.)
• 4 Step Tiles (cardboard)
• 4 Boat Tokens (1 of each color) (wooden)
• 64 Tambo Markers (16 of each color) (wooden)
• 88 Corn Cubes (22 of each color) (wooden)
• 25 Step Pawns (5 sets of 4 in Ayar colors and 1 wild) (wooden)
• Rulebook

How to Play

Ayar: Children of the Sun is a game set in the origins of the Inca Empire, where players compete to become the most favored clan by guiding the Ayar siblings on their pilgrimage from Tiwanaku to Cusco. Across four rounds consisting of a day phase and a night phase, players alternate turns using step markers to advance the Ayar along their colored paths, build tambos along their way, and execute the action of the occupied space (weaving textiles, crafting pottery, farming terrace corn, or binding reed islands). These activities allow players to accumulate devotion to the Sun (Inti) and develop set collection or progress for the Moon (Mama Quilla), as well as build temples and unlock bonuses by managing llamas and Viracocha tokens. During the night phase, the Ayar that has fallen furthest behind turns to stone and is removed, triggering temple scoring and closing a marker to score one of the four disciplines on the night track, in addition to adding recurring Sun points based on devotion achieved. After four rounds and the final allocation of llamas between both celestial bodies, each player compares their two scoring markers, and the one with the highest score on their lower track (Sun or Moon) is proclaimed the winner.

Key Concepts

Let’s begin with the Main Board. It features a panoramic view with four colored paths (purple, green, red, and black) running from Tiwanaku to Cusco, filled with numbered spaces interspersed with spaces to build tambos, each featuring a symbol for one of the four possible actions that can be resolved in the game. On its left side, it includes the temple area with four rows associated with each color, and surrounding the entire perimeter is the customary score track. In the upper left corner, there is a reference table showing the conversion rate for llama tokens.

On the other hand, we have the Lake Board, which represents Lake Titicaca and serves to organize the game’s four main activities. It features a water area with movement spaces and spaces for islands, the terrace farming area, and the markets where textiles and pottery available to be acquired are replenished and displayed.

Each player has a Player Board that organizes their personal elements. At the top are the supply spaces for corn cubes and island tokens. At the bottom are the areas to place acquired pottery and weave textiles. To the right is the grid where tambos and step pawns are managed. In between are several spaces to place Viracocha tokens to activate bonuses.

The Ayar Pawns are wooden figures split into male and female pairs for each of the four colors. The four male pawns advance along their respective paths on the main board, setting the pace of the game and limiting where tambos can be built, while the female pawns are placed in the temple area and move horizontally to score built temples when their male counterpart is retired at the end of the day.

Associated with these are the Step Pawns. These are five pawns, one in each of their colors plus a fifth gold one that acts as a wild marker. Players place them along the sides of their tambo grid to determine which Ayar pawn will move, the number of spaces it will advance based on the indicated arrows, and the action power to execute based on the empty tambo spaces available in that line.

The Tambos are house-shaped wooden pieces that start out filling the grid on each player’s personal board. They are removed from rows and columns to be built on empty path spaces on the main board behind an advancing Ayar, allowing the player to execute the action of the occupied space and unlocking bonuses (by clearing a row and/or column) or temples on their own board (by clearing a quadrant of the tambo grid).

Let’s talk about the four elements linked to the four main actions. The first is Corn Cubes, representing harvests. They are placed in the crop terrace spaces on the lake board using the corresponding action, uncovering suns and moons printed on the player board as they are removed and granting Viracocha’s favor to the player who contributed the most corn during the round.

The second is Island Tokens, which are square tokens that players store on their personal boards and deploy onto the lake board using the reed-binding action. When placed on available water spaces, they allow subsequent boats to pass without extra cost and provide Moon scoring corresponding to the highest occupied value.

Third, we have Textile Tiles, which are rectangular pieces representing fabrics with different power levels and designs showing suns or Viracocha symbols. They are obtained via the weaving action on the lake and are placed freely on the player board’s weaving grid, serving to increase Sun devotion based on completed visible suns and to add Moon points based on consecutive fully covered columns.

Fourth, Pottery Tokens are square pieces showing a vessel of a specific color on their face-up side or a generic back when face down. They are obtained through the pottery action on the lake and placed on the personal board’s bottom row from left to right, providing Sun devotion based on symbols printed above them and scoring Moon points by forming sets of the same color. Some tokens grant a Viracocha token.

Viracocha Tokens are square tiles featuring the face of a deity, obtained on the lake or through corn farming. They are placed in bonus slots on the personal board to unlock permanent or immediate effects, such as extra action power, additional llamas, or score re-evaluations.

Boats are wooden markers with a boat illustration that start at the bottom of the lake board. They move by spending power points to explore the water area, build islands on empty spaces, and collect adjacent Viracocha tokens.

Temple Tiles are placed on the rows of the main board’s temple area when emptying tambo quadrants on player boards. When the male pawn of the corresponding color is retired, the female partner travels along that row, scoring each deposited temple based on the chosen activity.

We also have Llamas, which are tokens that act as a wild end-game scoring resource. They are mainly obtained as rewards for activating Raymi tiles or completing personal bonuses, and at the end of the game, players assign them freely to add extra points to the Sun marker, the Moon marker, or split between both.

Raymi Tiles are placed on designated spaces along the main board’s paths. When an Ayar pawn reaches or passes one of these spaces, the tile triggers an immediate scoring assessment for all players based on accumulated suns in a specific activity, granting Sun devotion and extra llamas if certain thresholds are met before flipping to its higher-demanding side.

The Inti Dial tracks devotion to the Sun god. It increases when triggering personal bonuses or Raymi assessments based on player activities, and its accumulated value directly converts into points on the Sun track during each night phase.

Bonus Markers are small tokens used on each player’s personal board. They serve to clearly cover and mark personal Sun devotion bonuses that have already been activated and claimed after clearing a row or column of tambos.

Finally, Sun and Moon Tokens are the markers each player uses on the main board’s scoring track. Since the game uses a dual scoring system, one token tracks devotion to the sun (Inti) and the other devotion to the moon (Mama Quilla), with the lower of the two determining the player’s final score. The sun marker advances during each night phase based on the current value on the Inti dial, while the moon marker advances when scoring a temple or triggering the scoring of a step pawn for the Ayar retired at the end of the round.

That is enough to get started.

Preparación de la Partida

1. Place the main board in the center of the table.
2. Place the lake board next to the main board.
3. Place the four male Ayar on the first movement space of their corresponding colored paths.
4. Randomly place the four female Ayar in the spaces to the left of the temple area and place a Viracocha token next to each one.
5. Shuffle and randomly place the Raymi tiles on the main board spaces that match their letter, with the letter side facing up.
6. Form general supplies next to the board with Viracocha tokens and llamas.
7. Separate the textile tiles into four piles by their numerical value and place them next to the corresponding slots on the lake board.
8. Place the pottery deck face down next to the lake board, draw tokens until revealing four that do not feature the Viracocha icon, and place them in the four visible slots, returning any extra drawn tokens to the deck to reshuffle.
9. Place the indicated amount of Viracocha tokens in the lake slots based on player count.
10. Each player chooses a color and receives:
    • A player board to place in their play area.
    • In games with fewer than four players, each player covers the steps adjacent to the tambo grid with the step tile on the side matching the player count.
    • Five step pawns (one of each Ayar color plus one gold).
    • Sixteen tambos, placed in the corresponding grid on their personal board.
    • Twenty-two corn cubes, placed in their respective slots on the personal board.
    • Six island tokens, placed in their respective slots on the personal board.
    • Four temples, set aside.
    • Four bonus tokens, set aside.
    • An Inti dial, set aside.
    • A moon marker and a sun marker, placed on space 0 of the main board score track.
    • A boat token, placed on the starting space at the bottom of the lake.
11. Randomly select the start player and give them the first player marker.

We are ready to begin!

Game Flow

A game of Ayar: Children of the Sun plays over four rounds, each consisting of two phases.

Phase I: Day

Starting with the first player and continuing clockwise, players alternate turns taking the following steps in order:

1. Activate a Step Pawn. The player chooses one of their available step markers and places it lying flat on an empty space (without another step pawn, whether flat or standing) on their personal board’s tambo grid. The chosen row or column must contain at least one tambo.
2. Move the Ayar. The player advances the male Ayar of the color corresponding to the placed step marker along its path. The number of arrows associated with the chosen slot determines the exact number of spaces it must advance. If the gold marker was played, the player decides which Ayar to move.
3. Choose and Place a Tambo. The player takes any tambo from the chosen row or column and places it on an empty building space on the path, on any space behind the recently moved Ayar. The chosen space must show an action the player can legally execute.
4. Perform the Activity. The player executes the action corresponding to the icon of the space where the tambo was built. Action power equals the number of empty tambo spaces in the selected row or column (from 1 to 4). Available activities are:
   • Pottery. The player takes pottery tokens from the lake board whose total power cost is equal to or less than the action power. Acquired pottery is placed from left to right on the personal board. Each vessel with a Viracocha symbol grants a Viracocha token from the general supply.
   • Weaving. The player takes textiles from the lake board piles matching the power limit and without drawing twice from the same pile. Textiles are added to the personal board weaving area, occupying exactly two empty spaces. Each textile tile with a Viracocha symbol grants a Viracocha token from the general supply.
   • Terrace Farming. The player places a number of corn cubes equal to the action power on available spaces on the lake board, removing them first from left to right from their player board boxes.
   • Reed Binding. The player moves their boat along lake paths without exceeding accumulated power cost. Upon entering square spaces without a personal island, an island is built by placing the leftmost one from the personal board. If the space already had an island, movement cost through it is removed (borne only by the first player). Clearing the last space of a segment grants a Viracocha token from an adjacent lake section.
5. End of Turn Checks. The player verifies and resolves, in the order of their choice, if any of the following elements were triggered:
   • Temple Construction. If a quadrant on the grid becomes completely empty of tambos, the player must place a temple from their supply onto the main board in the row of the Ayar activated that turn.
   • Personal Bonuses. If a row or column of tambos is completely cleared, the player claims the indicated reward (llamas, Viracochas, or Inti dial increases).
   • Raymi Tiles. If the Ayar reached or passed a space linked to a Raymi tile, all players gain devotion on their Inti dial based on suns accumulated in the indicated activity. If players reach the required minimum, they also obtain a llama token. The first time an Ayar reaches a Raymi tile, it flips over, increasing its requirements.

If a player places enough Viracocha tokens on a bonus slot, it activates, granting its effect (immediate or permanent).

After this, the turn passes to the next player. The phase ends when all players have activated all of their step pawns.

Phase II: Night

Proceed as follows:

1. Retiring an Ayar. The male Ayar that advanced the least along its path is retired and placed in the temple area. In case of a tie, the one whose female partner is furthest down in that area is retired.
2. Corn Harvest. The player who planted the most corn during this round in the terrace area claims the Viracocha token associated with the retired Ayar. After this, all corn cubes on the lake board are returned to the box.
3. Temple Scoring. The female counterpart of the retired Ayar traverses her row from left to right. Each player scores the activity associated with temples they own in that row, adding applicable column bonuses.
4. Score Step Pawn. In turn order, each player places the step pawn of the retired Ayar’s color onto a slot on their player board and scores the corresponding activity on the Moon track.
5. Dawn. All players score Sun points by advancing on the score track a number of steps equal to the current value on their Inti dial.
6. Next Round Setup. Unless it is the end of the fourth round, remaining step markers are set upright, corn is cleared from the lake board, and the start player marker passes to the next player to the left to begin a new round.

After this, a new round begins.

Game End

The game ends after the fourth night phase. Afterwards, each player can assign llamas obtained during the game between Sun and Moon to advance their point markers. Each assigned llama converts into additional points according to the conversion table on the main board.

Now, each player compares their two scoring markers (Sun and Moon) and uses the lower marker value as their final score. The player with the highest final score wins. In case of a tie, the player whose second marker (the higher one) is closest to their lower marker wins. If still tied, the tied players share victory.

Variants

Solo Mode. The player faces an automated opponent called Ayllu. During the day phase, the player takes turns following regular rules, while Ayllu automates its actions by blindly drawing a step marker from a bag along with an activity token. This token determines how far the corresponding Ayar advances, action power based on the active round, and criteria for placing a tambo. The bot resolves the four main activities (weaving, pottery, terrace farming, and reed binding) by occupying spaces on central boards following set priorities and simplifying benefits; for example, Ayllu converts every Viracocha it would gain into a llama. In the night phase, Ayllu scores Sun and Moon by evaluating which activities grant the highest yields on its specific tracks and removing step markers. At the end of four rounds, the bot assigns its accumulated llamas by optimizing its markers to maximize its lowest score and determine if the player managed to beat it.

Personal Opinion

In recent years, Fabio Lopiano has consolidated his position as one of the most prolific authors in the modern eurogame scene since debuting with Calimala. With a steady release output (averaging over a game a year, mostly mid-weight titles), the Italian designer has demonstrated a solid knack for crafting games with a distinct old-school feel. However, this hyperactive cadence is a double-edged sword: while his designs are consistently solid, he occasionally risks running into a certain template-like feel where gameplay impressions overlap between titles.

What is beyond doubt is that the Italian author has established a highly recognizable design signature present in virtually all his work. It revolves around a geometric progression that initially constrains players with low-powered actions. However, through a finely tuned engine, every earlier decision serves as a stepping stone that amplifies the reach of future turns while resolving those very same actions. Watching that snowball build momentum into the late game provides a deeply satisfying payoff.

Today we examine the design that seemingly concludes Osprey Games’ trilogy centered on ancient civilizations, which began with Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road and continued with Sankoré: The Pride of Mansa Musa. Let’s see how Ayar: Children of the Sun performs on the table.

Ayar: Children of the Sun transports us to the fascinating foundational era of the Incas, when the legendary Ayar siblings emerged from around Lake Titicaca with the momentous quest of pilgrimaging north to establish the Tawantinsuyu empire. Within this epic, mythical setting, players assume the role of minor clans who are not seeking to steal the spotlight from the myth itself, but rather to earn divine favor by aiding the travelers along their journey. We will dedicate ourselves to perfecting daily Andean crafts to impress both Sun and Moon, aiming to rise as the favored clan.

A game of Ayar unfolds over four rounds made up of two distinct phases: day and night. During the day phase, players alternate turns activating step markers on their player board grid to advance the Ayar siblings along their respective paths and subsequently place a tambo on one of the available action spaces left behind by the Ayar.

Placing a step pawn determines action power (dependent on values tied to the positions where pawns can be placed) used to resolve the turn. That action can be one of four choices: crafting pottery, weaving textiles, terrace farming, or binding reeds. Through these actions, players accumulate devotion to the gods, both sun and moon.

When night falls, the Ayar sibling that has fallen furthest behind on their route is retired and turned to stone. This retirement triggers a phase where players score temples built in that Ayar’s row and must choose which of their activities to evaluate for the Moon, losing that marker for the rest of the game (since the corresponding Ayar is no longer available on its path). Furthermore, devotion accumulated before Inti regularly translates into Sun points. Victory requires a delicate balance, as the final score will be whichever marker is lower: Sun or Moon.

If you are familiar with Lopiano’s work, you will already suspect that, being Italian, each action is tied to a mini-game, so let’s skim over them briefly. The first centers on pottery set collection. Depending on generated power, a player can pick one or multiple vessel tiles from the display, aiming to gather matching colors, as the multiplier scoring for Moon points depends on set size. It is a simple concept, but one that demands quick adaptation based on available supply, as building large sets of matching types is no easy task.

The second is textile weaving. Each player has a loom grid that introduces a spatial puzzle element with pieces covering two grid spaces. When resolving the action, we acquire fabrics to fit into our personal board. Higher turn power grants higher value or higher quantity fabrics, allowing us to complete columns step by step. Here, our goal is twofold: complete as many visible sun symbols on fabrics as possible, while also fully completing columns without leaving gaps.

The third is terrace farming. By executing the action at higher power, we remove more cubes from our personal board to place onto shared lake terraces. Clearing these cubes permanently reveals numerous Sun and Moon icons. This not only yields a steady devotion stream at dawn, but also pulls players into a majority contest against opponents to claim Viracocha’s favor at the end of each round.

Finally, we have reed binding. Each player has a boat marker that moves along routes drawn on Lake Titicaca. Every power point earned allows advancing this marker and eventually placing island tokens on designated spots. The farther we travel, the better positions we secure, uncovering sun icons on the personal board and raising the ceiling for Moon points through our highest-value island built. It features the twist that the first player to build an island reduces movement costs for rivals, creating an interesting timing dilemma.

With that context set, we can dive into impressions and dynamics. First and foremost, Ayar: Children of the Sun feels like a return to roots after the overwhelming layering and over-complication found in Sankoré: The Pride of Mansa Musa, where Lopiano seemed possessed by David Turczi’s ghost. Here, the Italian designer recovers his signature mechanical elegance, proving you can squeeze players tight without drowning them in convoluted rules.

This return to roots is not just a feeling; a direct line can be drawn between Ayar: Children of the Sun and Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road, viewing the latter as the true conceptual blueprint. In both titles, Lopiano returns to action-matrix structures that dictate power scaling as you manipulate rows and columns, also recalling another strong design of his, Zapotec.

Having a personal matrix eliminates cross-player opportunism, turning execution into a personal optimization puzzle where players must extract maximum efficiency from step markers and clear quadrants at the right moments while accounting for Ayar movement and retirement order. Deciding which columns to clear (for bonuses) versus which quadrants to clear to deploy temple tiles with good timing is crucial.

One of my favorite aspects is the long-distance race the Ayar siblings run along their paths, which generates great psychological tension right from turn one. Players cannot do everything and are forced to project ahead: guessing which paths will flow faster and which Raymi tiles will actually trigger. This drives players to boost specific mini-games while sacrificing others, accepting the risk that lagging Ayar might turn to stone before reaching milestones you needed.

This system creates fascinating board state analysis, pushing players into constant min-max calculations. It is not enough to plan your own turn; you must constantly read opponent boards, because based on their available step markers and uncleared lines, you can estimate the min/max movement ranges for each Ayar. Reading this is vital for predicting which traveler will get stuck at the back to be petrified, allowing you to speed up or slow down the pace to suit your interests and focus on the mini-games likely to yield the best returns.

Another stimulating element is the dual scoring system split between Sun and Moon requirements. On one hand, Inti devotion acts as an escalating engine: every dial advance is a permanent value that scores repeatedly at every dawn. However, raising this dial requires accurately reading traveler movement and progressing far enough in mini-games tied to active Raymi tiles—a true reward for foresight.

On the other hand, Mama Quilla worship pushes opportunistic timing. Moon scoring does not yield steady income; instead, it triggers in concentrated bursts during night phases dependent on temple placement and the permanent discard of step markers tied to petrified Ayar. This duality forces players to manage two interconnected tempos: while the Sun demands building a solid engine early, the Moon rewards patience to mature set collections before triggering score bursts.

Another striking feature in Ayar: Children of the Sun is the tension between action power and action frequency. While removing tambos increases turn strength, action options narrow round by round as step markers are lost to traveler retirements. This constriction forces specialization, as excelling in all four fronts is virtually impossible. Typically, players will focus heavily on two mini-games (those with Raymi tiles expected to trigger repeatedly) while finding precise moments to dip into the remaining two to snatch key differential points.

I also want to highlight another main strategic driver: managing Viracocha markers. Acquiring these tokens is no mere task; it is a key race to unlock game-altering perks. Whether boosting base mini-game strength, gaining valuable llamas, or triggering score multipliers, their table impact is undeniable. This versatility makes fighting for Viracochas—via corn terraces or market offers—one of the fiercest struggles in the game.

Now for the less positive aspects. First, Ayar: Children of the Sun will not win over anyone who dislikes the author’s previous designs. True to his signature style, this is a purely mechanical affair where the Inca theme acts as a light cosmetic coating over a mathematical engine. If spending ninety minutes resolving the same four actions as they scale in power does not sound appealing, this game is likely not for you.

Additionally, the varied nature of the mini-games is a double-edged sword. For instance, the pottery action introduces market draw luck that can be frustrating if available options do not align with set collection needs. Corn terrace farming requires group competition; if the table slacks off and leaves one player unchecked, that player extracts huge value for minimal effort. In contrast to these volatile areas, textiles and reeds offer far more deterministic development, leading different player profiles to favor specific actions based on risk tolerance, though always filtered through Raymi tiles.

Furthermore, as with many Lopiano designs, the mini-games can lack bite. On paper, Lopiano tries to offer variety across four distinct mechanics: set collection in pottery, majorities in corn, spatial puzzles in textiles, and a mini-race in reeds. In practice, however, none feel groundbreaking or particularly thrilling. They serve their functional purpose within the system, but gameplay feel remains somewhat dry, reducing them to utilitarian scoring pipelines.

Regarding player count scalability, it shines best at four players. With a full table, player interaction is healthy, ensuring every mini-game sees competing interest. Moreover, predicting Ayar progress becomes tighter, heightening tension around which Ayar will be removed. At lower player counts, that intensity thins out, though it scales acceptably well overall.

Replayability benefits from brisk gameplay and a tight runtime, making it easy to bring to the table often. However, variable setup elements are fairly constrained. Beyond random Raymi tile distribution and initial female Ayar setup (used for ties), setup variability is minimal, meaning long-term play can feel somewhat repetitive as you resolve the same action loops.

Many may wonder where Ayar: Children of the Sun ranks within Osprey’s trilogy. I would place it slightly ahead of Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road, and both well ahead of Sankoré: The Pride of Mansa Musa. Still, it remains commendable that Lopiano stepped out of his comfort zone, even if Sankoré did not fully land for me.

Moving on to production values, Osprey Games maintains its strong editorial standards, offering custom shaped and screen-printed wooden pieces, highlighted by the Ayar pawns (which join together when turned to stone). Punchboard quality sees a noticeable upgrade, boasting much thicker, denser cardboard than past releases. The rulebook is cleanly structured with helpful illustrations, though the rules density means minor details can be missed easily on first reads.

Art duties return to Ian O’Toole, who adopts a style heavily influenced by pre-Columbian Andean aesthetics. It features a vibrant, saturated color palette with warm tones on suns, mountains, and deserts contrasting against turquoise waters, alongside line work reminiscent of traditional crafts and engravings. The box cover is striking thanks to the central sun motif, stylized silhouettes, and relief-style typography. O’Toole incorporates Inca themes cleanly without clutter, prioritizing functionality with clear shapes and colors while retaining cultural richness. Still, set up on the table, it is arguably the visually least flashy of the Osprey trilogy.

And let’s wrap this up. Ayar: Children of the Sun is a solid design that recovers Fabio Lopiano’s characteristic elegance through an exponential personal action matrix engine. Constant optimization to scale turn power, implicit race tension to anticipate blocked actions, and the challenge of balancing two opposing scoring tempos create a highly engaging tactical dynamic that demands reading opponent plays. Although thematic abstraction, dry mini-games, and slight mechanical imbalances detract somewhat from the experience, its brisk pace, tightening constraints, and overall mechanical fluidity make it a thoroughly engaging mid-weight title for classic eurogame fans. For all these reasons, I give it a…