There’s a lot of random elements in this game, but here’s my short thoughts on what you can do…..

During the Game;

Run for the Exit; Don’t wait for the helicopter to arrive, pay attention to the other players and if you think you can get back while the leader is too far then now might be the time. If you think that you are too far from the helicopter, it’s time to start getting back towards it (or other players will rush off the island!). Losing points for not making the helicopter will ensure you don’t win.

Heart; The heart of Vul-Kar is the single biggest point score. You don’t need to be the first to it, but you certainly want to steal it if you are not. The impact of the other player losing it and you gaining it would be a big swing especially if it’s the round you make it to the helicopter, or if they just got knocked down.

The Marble Well; There is an area on each side of the board where the marbles eventually roll to, almost regardless of the path. This is the MOST dangerous place to stand. Never stand here or only stand here when you have a token you can afford to lose.

Tree Turning; Trees can be defensive, use the cards to pick a tree and turn it to block the marbles rolling into your route. This can give you cover for multiple turns, but don’t forget that effective opponents can get around this!

Multi-Treasure; There are some spots that provide multiple treasures – plan to go back and forth over these spots in short succession or end on the spot and start the next turn there!

Embers; The small marbles that can be pushed are also good tactical tools in this game. Use these to catch enemies off guard as you can push them in any direction and as hard as you like!

6+; The sixth treasure of a type gets you nothing. Five is the maximum for scoring. Of course, if you are in the marble well, excessive treasure is easy to give up. To truly optimise, though, you will want only five of any given token.

Souvenirs Early; Souvenirs are big point scorers so don’t get left behind other players on these. As players amass a lead in these they will rush for the helicopter because of their value. Get these more than the tokens!

Good Luck!