Switchboard is a 9-card, path-building puzzler representing the hectic job of a switchboard operator. The goal is to connect the callers and recipients denoted by six pairs of colored tokens. Adding to the pressure is a time limit represented by three dice. Each action you will take has a time cost. If, over the three rounds of play, you are able to connect all the callers and recipients without running out of time, you win. Switchboard is not a difficult puzzle. I don’t consider myself particularly clever and so far have only lost my first game due to a rule misunderstanding. But it is fun and portable. I have found it a fine way to spend my lunch at work, much better than mindlessly scrolling online.
The gameplay is simple. The nine cards are shuffled and played in a 3×3 grid. This creates the jumble of paths making the play area. Tokens are set along the edge of the grid at specified and marked intervals. The three die are set to act as timers. In order to connect the paths between pairs of tokens and complete the calls, cards can be switched with another or rotated 180 degrees and tokens can swap places along a connected line or can move along a line to an unoccupied space. The actions all require set amounts of time and is recorded with the three dice. It is possible to gain more time. When a connection between two tokens of the same color is made, the call is completed and every whole circle along the connecting path adds one second to the timer.
Switchboard is played over three rounds. The first round contains four regular calls that may be connected at any time. Round two introduces a Priority Call with five connections to make. There is an extra challenge involving Priority Calls. They must be connect first before any regular calls, “even if there is already a connected call at the start of the round.” The third round then adds an Emergency Call which must be connected before the Priority Call before any regular call is connected.
Even being small and relatively simple, Switchboard lends itself well enough to tactical thinking. The time mechanic adds a cost to every action and it is important to make long connections, adding extra seconds to your pool. The Emergency and Priority calls, by limiting a round’s opening, can force inefficient moves and burn precious seconds. There is even a little bit of resource management. Occasionally there will be a long connection that can earn five or six seconds, but any earned seconds above 18 are wasted. It is common to work around these connections and use up some of the time pool before claiming it.
I have enjoyed playing Switchboard at my desk during lunch. It sets up, plays, and tears down very quickly. I laminated the printed cards for durability, but that isn’t necessary. I would recommend Switchboard to people looking for a quick puzzle while out and about. It finds a good balance of mental engagement but not being so overwhelming that you ignore the outside world.
The Keasy Depot 