The title of this game may sound odd but it's actually the name of a city in the north of Sweden that holds an annual folk festival and winter market, and it's the winter market that's the theme of this colourful family friendly set collection game designed by Henrik Larsson and illustrated by Christina Hagerfors.
Jokkmokk takes 2-5 players, plus there's a solitaire mode. It's played with cards laid out around the board in a circuit. Players each have two meeples representing members of their family and, similar to the core mechanic in Glen More Chronicles (Funtails), it's always the turn of the meeple in the farthest back position. On your meeple's turn, you choose which card you want to move to to claim - so obviously, as in Glen More Chronicles, you can move a long distance in order to nab a specific card that you want to collect but that will likely mean a long wait till your meeple's next move and acquisition. Likewise, short moves may secure you two or more moves and acquisitions in quick succession.
The game comes with 18 different sets of cards, and you set the game up using six of these; taking two sets each from those classified as 'basic', 'experienced' and 'special'. The rules suggest some combos but you can set the game up with any combination of card sets that take your fancy. As you collect cards you'll be adding them to your individual tableau. A couple of the sets give mid-game as well as end-game scoring for the players with the most of those cards but most scoring is only done at the end. Cards all have individual points scores but most of the sets are designed to additionally reward collection of paired icons or pattern matching. There are sets of cards with negative points values designed to be played on another player as a 'take that' action but Jokkmokk is a game where you are mostly focused on maximising your own set collection bonuses. Perhaps tho' as the finish comes in sight, players may make their card pick with an eye too to denying another player a card that's especially valuable to them.
Jokkmokk is an accessible game where players have straightforward choices to make. By judiciously choosing the sets with which to play, you can pitch the game for different audiences: go for simple set collection with younger children and graduate to the slightly more complicated sets with older or more experienced players. It functions well as a 'gateway game' for introducing some basic board game concepts to those new to modern board games; the only 'complication' for non-gamers being the distinction you need to make for some sets between 'claiming' and 'gaining' a card... Where a card triggers an action, you only get to take that action for cards that are 'claimed' (ie: the first card you take) not cards that are 'gained' (any additional cards collected as a result of an action on a 'claimed' card).
Our plays of Jokkmokk at Board's Eye View mostly ran to 30-40 minutes, and Jokkmokk's suitably seasonal theme make it a highly appropriate choice to play with a roaring fire and a mug of hot chocolate as the nights draw in.