In Kilauea, players take on the role of Mo’o, the lizard-like water spirits from Hawaiian folklore. These mythical beings venerate Pele, the volcano goddess, striving to keep her calm as they navigate the challenges of the volcanic island.
This medium-light eurogame is characterized by high player interaction and strategic decision-making. During each turn, players move through the five distinct zones of the volcano island, choosing one of three primary actions. They can gather wood from the forests and transport it to their boats, activating bonus actions along the way, with four different wood types available. Alternatively, players can use the collected wood to construct common tiki towers in various zones surrounding the goddess Pele. Lastly, players may opt to build personal tiki towers on their own islands to gain additional points.
The game reaches its conclusion when wooden resources in three zones are completely depleted, triggering end-game scoring. Players calculate their scores by multiplying the tikis on their islands by the common tikis found across the volcano’s zones for each wood type. Scoring rewards are based on the height of the wooden tiki towers; the tallest wood color in a zone grants 1 victory point per tiki, while other colors earn 3 victory points per tiki. With its blend of resource management and area control, Kilauea offers an engaging and thematic experience rooted in Hawaiian folklore.