Tzolk’in: The Mayan Calendar

About this product

Place your workers. Trust the gears. Time your rise to power.

A deep strategy board game with dynamic worker placement, rotating gears, resource planning, and many paths to victory.

A clever Mayan-themed strategy board game where rotating gears turn time itself into part of your plan.

Product Description

Step into the world of ancient Mayan tribes, where timing, planning, and clever resource use decide who will lead their civilization to prosperity.

Tzolk’in: The Mayan Calendar is a deep strategy board game built around a unique rotating gear system. Instead of simply placing workers on fixed spaces, you place them onto giant connected gears. As the central calendar turns, your workers move forward to stronger and more valuable action spaces.

On your turn, you choose one important decision: place workers onto the gears, or pick workers up to use their actions. Leave a worker longer, and the reward can become more powerful. Wait too long, though, and your plans may slip away. That is where the magic of Tzolk’in lives — every turn feels like a careful dance with time.

Gather corn, harvest wood, mine stone and gold, advance technologies, build monuments, and honour the gods. There are many routes to victory, but only the player who manages timing, resources, and long-term planning best will rise above the other tribes.

Why you’ll love it

• Unique rotating gear system: Workers move as the calendar turns, creating a fresh twist on classic worker placement.
• Deep strategic planning: Every worker placement matters because the best rewards often come to those who wait.
• Many paths to victory: Build monuments, develop technologies, gather resources, climb temple tracks, or focus on crystal skulls.
• Strong resource management: Corn, wood, stone, gold, and skulls all matter, and using them well is key to success.
• Beautiful table presence: The interlocking gears make the game board feel alive as the calendar slowly moves.
• A classic for strategy fans: A smart choice for players who enjoy heavier planning, timing, and tactical decisions.

Quick Details

• Number of players: 2 to 4
• Recommended age group: 12 years and up
• Duration: Around 60 to 90 minutes
• Game type: Strategy board game
• Play style: Competitive worker placement, resource management, long-term planning
• Theme: Mayan civilization, ancient calendar, temples, gods, monuments
• Skill level: Advanced
• Designers: Daniele Tascini and Simone Luciani
• Publisher: Czech Games Edition

In the Box

• 1 game board made from 6 interlocking pieces
• 6 gears of various sizes
• 1 sticker sheet
• 6 fasteners
• 24 workers in 4 colours
• 28 round markers in 4 colours
• 4 scoring counters in 4 colours
• 65 wooden resource cubes
• 13 plastic crystal skulls
• 65 corn tokens
• 28 harvest tiles
• 21 starting wealth tiles
• 13 monuments
• 32 buildings divided into 2 ages
• 4 two-sided player boards
• 1 starting player marker
• 1 rulebook

Good to Know

• Heavier strategy game: This is best for players who enjoy planning several turns ahead.
• Dynamic worker placement: Workers become more valuable as the gears rotate, so timing is everything.
• Corn matters: Corn works as both food and currency, so you must manage it carefully.
• Multiple scoring routes: You can score through buildings, monuments, temples, crystal skulls, resources, and end-game bonuses.
• Strong table presence: The rotating gear board is one of the main attractions of the game.
• Best for strategy gamers: A great fit for players who already enjoy deeper board games and clever planning.

Care & Maintenance

Attach the gears and stickers carefully before the first game, following the rulebook instructions. Keep all tokens, workers, skulls, buildings, and monuments sorted after play so setup is easier next time. Store the game flat where possible to protect the board pieces and attached gears.