GAMES INSPIRED BY PANIER BLEU
Author: Kalinda Patton - April 16, 2020

Launched on April 5, 2020, in partnership with the Quebec government, the Panier Bleu  program was created as a way to help boost Quebec’s economy and support businesses who may be suffering under the financial burden caused by COVID-19. To show our kinship with this province we call home, Asmodee Canada has decided to showcase a selection of games associated with la belle province. Whether they were designed and created by small Quebec publishers, or whether their themes are Québécois, the products in our Blue Games selection will certainly give you the feeling of being immersed in Quebec culture, or the satisfaction of supporting local game creators.

Azul by Next Move Games
2-4 players / Ages 8+ / 30-45 minutes

Azul (which means blue, notably in Spanish and Portuguese) was created by Next Move Games, a company situated in the quaint little town of Rigaud, Quebec.
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Azulejos, originally blue and white ceramic wall tiles, were adopted by the Portuguese when their king, Manuel I, visited a Spanish palace. He was mesmerized by the stunning beauty of the decorative tiles and immediately ordered that his own palace in Portugal be decorated with similar wall tiles.

Azul will immerse you in this exotic time and place, as you become a tile-layer, hired to create the beautiful mosaic on the palace walls. Select colored tiles and place them on your palace wall. Points are scored based on how you place your tiles. Additional points are awarded for specific motifs and for completed sets. Be sure to not waste any material, as this may reduce your final score.

The Azul product line includes two additional games: Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra and Azul: Summer Pavilion. And stay tuned because Next Move Games has plans to release additional Azul titles

Imagine Quebec* by Cocktail Games
3-8 players / Ages 12+ / 20 minutes

Imagine was originally a French game, with very French references. However, the team at Asmodee Canada decided to adapt the game for the Quebec market. The goal was to have the themes in the game represent more of what Quebecers know and love, like the Olympic Stadium, Passe-Partout, and Boom Desjardins!

With Imagine Quebec, there are no limits to your imagination! With the help of 60 transparent cards, representing various shapes or symbols, players must illustrate one of a thousand topics listed on separate clue cards (movies, places, objects, people, etc.). Combine and overlay the transparent cards with each other and express your creativity (without talking of course). The sky is the limit to what you can create!
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Will you be inventive and creative enough to illustrate your topics and make it easy for your team to guess Quebec’s own hero politician, Premier François Legault​?

Incubation by Synapses Games
2-5 players / Ages 8+ / 30 minutes

Launched in 2018, Synapses Games is a Quebec-based game publisher located in Les Cèdres in the Montérégie region. Since then, they have published two games and have a third in the works for later this year. Développement Vaudreuil-Soulanges, an organization that helps local entrepreneurs, believed in the company enough to help support its development.

Incubation, the first game published by Synapses Games, was designed by the founder of the company, Carl Brière. In the game, you can take on the role of dragon breeders and must acquire the necessary resources to help your baby dragons break free from their shells. How many dragons will you hatch? With the right combination of heat, water and gold, incubate your eggs, complete your objectives, and prove that you are one of the best dragon breeders out there!
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Incubation is the perfect title to start your journey in the world of board games. Perfectly adapted for kids, this charming and beautifully illustrated game will provide tons of magical fun for the entire family!

Timeline Quebec* by Zygomatic
2-6 players / Ages 8+ / 15 minutes

Was the first Expos baseball game played before or after the opening of the
​Saint-Félicien Zoo? Well, it was before Cirque du Soleil was founded, but was it after the first episode of Bobino or after? With Timeline Quebec, these are the types of questions you’ll face every single time every time you play a card.

In Timeline Quebec, correctly place cards on an ever-growing timeline. If you don’t place your card in the right place on the timeline, you will have to draw a new card and try again on your next turn. The winner is the first person to correctly place all their cards. Take a trip down memory lane… and maybe add in a dash of luck!

The Timeline product line includes a variety of titles, such as Timeline Canada, Timeline Inventions and Timeline Classic. All the products in the Timeline family include multiple themes such as historical events, music, sports, inventions, and more. However, Timeline Quebec holds a special place in our hearts because it brings back a lot of fond memories of our beloved province.
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A great game to learn about Quebec history, or to try and remember it!

Totem by Totem Team
3-8 players / Ages 8+ / 20 minutes

Created in the Saguenay Lac Saint-Jean region, Totem is a feel-good game (that is actually the game’s tagline!) It all started back in 2015 when the team behind Totem decided to create a game that would create a positive impact on peoples’ lives and foster healthy communication and personal growth.

Imagine if all your friends were to tell you, one after the other, what they love most about you. Well, that is exactly what happens when they build the totem (like Scouts or Girl Guides!) that best reflects who you are. Each totem is created with an ANIMAL card associated to one of your strengths, and a QUALITY card that represents you. These two cards are chosen and explained by all the other players.

Totem is really a fantastic way to show your loved ones why you love them.
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With more than 20,000 copies sold worldwide, it’s clear that positivity has the power to pave the road to success!
There you have it, this concludes our Blue Games selection. We hope that the games we mentioned will be enjoyed by your family and friends—be it in physical our virtual groups.
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Stay safe, Keep Calm, and Game On!

*Titles only available in French
Check out the Print & Play site to find free games you can print and play at home