ウボンゴ ポケモン (Ubongo Pokémon) (2022)

Overview

Despite the fact that the publisher's own website claims this is the same as Ubongo Mini, it isn't.

Yes, this is a small form factor variant of the original Ubongo. Players race against each other over eight rounds to solve little tile-placement problems. In every round, the first person to solve their puzzle yells "Ubongo!" then counts to some mutually-agreed number of seconds (the rules suggest 20 or 30; but allow that other variations are possible). All players that complete their puzzle before time runs out keep the puzzle tile (a Pokémon ball!) as a scoring reminder, and those that fail give their tile to the first solver.

So far, that sounds a lot like Ubongo Mini. (That has a "Don't bother counting; first to solve keeps their tile, and everyone else just stops." alternate rule, too; and while that rule could easily be used in this version, it's not mentioned.)

But: the puzzles in ウボンゴ ポケモン are notably harder. Each puzzle tile has two sides: one that can be completed with three pieces, and one that requires four. More, the puzzles don't disclose which pieces are required! Players have eight possible tiles, and need to figure out which subset works. (In contrast, Ubongo Mini's puzzles are two or three pre-specified pieces.)

Additionally, the rules specify that it's possible to complete all puzzles without the simplest (1x3 rectangle) piece. And that using that piece or not could be an additional scaling factor.