Nice graphics on a small box, intriguing looking game with an unusual theme. Could the contents live up to the promise of the first impression? After quite a few plays I would say that the answer is an unequivocal yes!

So how does it play? Each player starts with a hand of 3 cards dealt from a common deck of 24. The cards are named after the 12 islands on the board; nearby islands are linked together by lines which show where bridges may potentially be built. The number of possible links ranges from 3 to 6, which creates interesting tactical problems and possibilities. Basically the game consists of playing 0-5 cards from your hand (the maximum hand size is 5), then picking up a replacement. Each card played builds one bridge from the island named to an adjacent island. Thus, to build a bridge from BARI to DUDA you can play either a BARI or a DUDA card. When a player has a majority of links to an island (ie. more than half of the possible links), they place one of their Kahuna stones to show control. This has the immediate effect of knocking out any enemy links from that island which could possibly have a knock on effect on the control of other islands -- as soon as a player doesn't have a majority, the controlling stone is removed. Thus, because up to 5 cards can be played, big changes can occur in one turn. This creates one of the tactical choices, because by playing a lot of cards you shoot your bolt for a while while you accumulate more. Sometimes it's better to dribble cards something really devastating. You can also destroy an enemy bridge by playing two appropriate cards. The replacement can either be chosen from three face up cards or blind from the deck, which gives options between picking something you want but where your opponent knows what you have, and risking getting something useless. When the last card is picked up the round ends, and points are scored. There are three rounds, with 1 point being scored for controlling more islands than your opponent at the end of the first, 2 points for being in the lead after the second and the difference in islands controlled after the third.

It's a very easy game to pick up; even the difficulty in finding the islands relating to your cards is not a problem as the map is reproduced on the cards with the relevant island highlighted in red -- and half way through the first game you know where they all are anyway. Although the game rules are very simple there is a fair bit of depth. Firstly, different islands play quite differently, the ones with only 3 or 4 connections at the edge tend to become secure bases, the central islands with more connections become the battleground and frequently change hands. Secondly, each round plays differently; you build up fairly quickly and without requiring too much analysis in the first, the second involves much greater thought, trying to build up good combinations of cards with which to launch an assault on the enemy, and in the third the battlegrounds tend to be better defined and you know what you need to do. The mechanics of the game can lead to complex situations which require a certain amount of thinking, but never too much so that the other player becomes bored. There are many neat touches to the game, especially the 5 card hand limit, which sometimes causes you to play a card when you don't really want to show your intentions and the limited intelligence about what your opponents cards are or might be.

The theme matches the mechanics fairly well, perhaps because you don't have any preconceived ideas about what Kahuna magic should look like, and this certainly doesn't feel like a dry, abstract game like so many two player games are. Games are generally very close, with the initiative swinging from one side to the other and feel quite tense and involving. The game is mainly tactical with a smidgeon of strategy (eg. trying to block off one area), and some memory/card counting and luck. Although it doesn't have a strong "just one more go" feeling, this is a game which I am sure we will be returning to regularly. 8 out of 10 is the verdict from the Richards household!