Orchestra

Hey there Maestro! A new season is upon us and it’s time to build your orchestra. Audition musicians into your ensemble using a unique mancala-style system. Each section – Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, and Percussion – will score differently. Some of your musicians will go on to become virtuosos and earn you bonus points, but hire too many and you’ll be overburdened with stand-bys which will lose you points. Hire the right musicians to perform your compositions and have the best opening night!

AWARDS

At BostonFIG Fest 2025, Orchestra won the two biggest awards given away at the show:
Best In Show, chosen by a panel of industry professionals, and
Audience Choice, chosen by the audience at the festival.
It is the first-ever game in the 13-year history of the show to win both awards!

ABOUT THE GAME

The Basics
2-4 players | 10 min per player | Ages 8+

Main Mechanics
Bag Drafting
Set Collection
Push Your Luck
Unique Mancala-Style Board Reset

Orchestra is a competitive, light-to-medium weight family-style game with a target market of gateway to slightly beyond (think Wingspan, Azul, Sagrada). There is light player interaction in the mancala-style board reset and shared goals, as well as a mix of hidden and public information. Simple rules combined with seven different ways to score allow for many different strategies with each play. Playtesters often ask to play again so they can try a different strategy.

The theme is very strong in the game, but only adds to the experience. As one publisher noted: “I am impressed with how much theme and gameplay you’ve packed into a 30-minute game.”

Players’ Favorite Parts
Watching their Orchestra Grow as they build it
Completing Composition Cards (set collection)
The Mancala-style board reset that allows for unique player interaction
Pacing – Quick turns with some simultaneous play

PITCH VIDEO

The video above was Orchestra’s submission to the Cardboard Edison award. I am currently working on a more pitch-ready video and hope to have it uploaded soon.

OTHER COOL THINGS

• While all orchestras are different, the layout of the board and different orchestral sections are based on standards found in American orchestra. The Boston Symphony Orchestra was used as the template for the game’s layout.

• The compositions in the game are based on real-life compositions that have become famous throughout history (Beethoven’s 5th, Vivaldi’s Spring, etc.). Not only are these cards packed with information about the pieces, but the instrumentation (the set-collection aspect) is also based on the actual instruments that are highlighted in each piece. For example, Aaron Copeland’s “Appalachian Spring” features a big clarinet solo in the beginning, so players need to have a “Clarinet Virtuoso” in their orchestra to play it.

• The compositions were chosen to be completely balanced in terms of instrumentation, but also highlight female composers and composers of color, something very important to me as the designer.

• A fun round-tracking element has players composing an eight-measure piece of music as they play through the game’s eight rounds.

PHOTOS

All photos are prototype photos.

COMPONENTS

Note: Orchestra is currently under development, though is 95%+ done. The Component List is subject to change as development continues.