Standing at the railing of a viewing pavilion, enchanted by countless colorful hot air balloons rising in the distance – this is the idyllic scene presented by Havalandi, the new game by Reiner Knizia.

Players take flight in their own hot air balloons and compete to capture the attention of spectators with the most impressive display of these graceful aerial vehicles. Each player arrives on launch day with their own collection of balloons. The landscape is divided into areas with meadows, tulip fields, sand dunes and gravel paths. Along the edges are special pavilions where visitors can admire these elegant balloons up close.

Each turn, an airship circling the board indicates two possible directions for the next balloon to be placed. Alternatively, a player may choose to expand an existing balloon group into a nearby region. Points are scored by cleverly choosing where to place each balloon, whether that is in the landscape or next to a pavilion. The most points are scored by launching a fleet of balloons that spans multiple landscape types.

Endgame scoring cards, three special balloons with unique abilities, and a double-sided game board provide additional challenges and variety.