Hi! I'm Cindy, a Peruvian living in Canada and currently working with the marketing team at 401 Games. One of my favourite things about this job is getting to mix work with a hobby that has been part of my life long before I moved here.

Back in Peru, Sundays with my family often meant spending hours around the table playing board games, laughing, competing and just enjoying being together. My brother, who still lives there, is a huge board game fan, and he's definitely the person who got me more interested in the hobby.

Even now, from time to time, instead of catching up on life, we somehow end up talking about board games. During one of those conversations, we started mentioning games we knew from Peru, and I realized that there are some really interesting Peruvian titles that I haven't been able to find here in Canada.

So I wanted to share four that especially caught my attention. They're games I would love to see on this side of the world someday, but until then, let me introduce you to a little piece of my world and discover together what makes each of them special.

Chaski: A Race Through Inca History

The first game on my list is Chaski, and this one immediately stood out to me because it combines competition and strategy with a piece of Peruvian history.

If you're not from Peru, the word Chaski might not mean much to you. But if you grew up and went to school in Peru, there's a pretty good chance you've heard about the chasquis.

During the Inca Empire, chasquis were runners responsible for carrying messages and small objects across the vast road network of the Tahuantinsuyo, the Quechua name for the Inca Empire and its four regions. 

And they were fast. According to educational material from the Smithsonian Institution, one of the world’s largest museum and research organizations, chasquis could run approximately 10 to 15 kilometres at a time. At the end of each stretch, another runner would be waiting at a station, ready to receive the message and continue the journey. Through this remarkable relay system, around 25 runners could cover approximately 240 kilometres in a single day. 

The name is also connected to Quechua, one of the Indigenous languages of the Andes and an official language of Peru. The word is associated with chaskiy, meaning “to receive,” which fits perfectly with the idea of receiving and passing along messages.

That's why I think Chaski is such a fitting name for the game. It represents speed, endurance and communication, but it also carries a piece of Andean history with it.

So, How Does the Game Work?

Just like the chasquis of the Inca Empire, your mission in Chaski is to race through different territories and be the first to deliver an important message announcing the successor to the Inca throne. But it's not just about moving fast. Players can use different weapons and spells to help themselves or slow down their opponents, adding strategy and plenty of interaction along the way. That's probably my favourite detail about the game: the connection to Peruvian history doesn't stop at the name. The role of carrying an important message becomes the central mission, while the weapons, spells and competitive chaos give it a fun twist.

Chaski is designed for 2 to 4 players, takes around 30 minutes, and is recommended for ages 8 and up, making it a great option for families or groups of friends who enjoy light strategy and a little friendly competition. It's also a completely Peruvian creation, designed by Hugo Leno and published by Navespacial, a Peruvian board game publisher. 

Acuarella: Art, Strategy and Lots of Cats

Acuarella caught my attention for a completely different reason. There might not be an Inca messenger running across the Andes this time, but there are plenty of cats! In this competitive puzzle game, you become an artist trying to create a beautiful piece of art while helping the cats living around an urban park. You place colourful polyomino pieces on your personal board, combining colours to collect pigments and score points. You can also earn opportunity cards, collect cat photos to fill empty spaces and even create cat shapes with your used pieces for extra points at the end of the game.

What makes Acuarella even more interesting to me is the story behind it. It was created by Peruvian designer Karem Potóchnik Ballón, who was inspired by her love of animals, art and Tetris-like shapes, but especially by her children during the pandemic. It became her first game and went on to win Best Peruvian Board Game 2024. Designed for 2 to 4 players ages 8 and up, it feels like a great option for families and players who enjoy colourful puzzle games where planning and making the most of your space are part of the challenge.

Cuyuyuy: A Very Peruvian Game of Luck and Strategy

If there's one game on this list that immediately feels Peruvian, it's Cuyuyuy. And no, it's not just because of the adorable guinea pigs! The game is actually inspired by the traditional “cuy de tómbola,” a popular game in Peru where people place their bets on numbered boxes and wait to see which one the guinea pig decides to enter. Peruvian designer Andrés Paredes, from the local publisher Navespacial, turned that familiar idea into a tabletop game, combining luck, strategy and a little bit of picardía.

In Cuyuyuy, players secretly choose a box and then use their cards to try to guide the cuy toward their choice while everyone else is trying to do exactly the same thing. Be the first player to collect three cuyes and you win! It's a quick and simple game for 2 to 4 players, ages 6 and up, with games lasting around 15 minutes. What I find especially fun about this one is how such a simple and very Peruvian tradition was transformed into a modern board game. Even if you've never seen a cuy de tómbola before, the mix of predicting what your opponents will do, a little luck and trying to get that cuy into your box sounds like the kind of game that can get everyone laughing pretty quickly.

A Mano Alzada: You Don't Have to Be an Artist

A Mano Alzada caught my attention because it's the kind of game where being good at drawing isn't really the point. Instead, it's about creativity, communication and figuring out how the other people at the table think. Players have to express ideas through quick, improvised drawings and work together to understand each other's priorities and criteria. That combination can turn even the simplest sketch into a lot of discussion and, probably, a few laughs when your masterpiece looks nothing like what you had in mind.

Designed for 4 to 6 players ages 8 and up, it's a cooperative game that seems especially suited to families and groups of friends who enjoy social and creative games rather than heavy strategy. Even its name fits the concept perfectly: in Spanish, a mano alzada describes drawing freely by hand, without drawing instruments. That's probably what I find most interesting about this one: you don't need to be the best artist at the table. Sometimes a terrible drawing might actually be what makes the game more fun.

- Cindy