Carnuta Board Game Review

Carnuta

Players: 2-4

Play Time: 20-30 minutes
Ages: 8+ (Officially 10+)

I’m a sucker for clicky-clacky game components, but that’s not the only reason I enjoy Carnuta

Overview
Players use runes to gain ingredient to create the best potion (score the most points). The game centers around the rune tiles, which have a sun on one side and a moon on the other. On your turn you can draw cards, use runes to play a card, take all of the runes of one type that fit on your board or flip all of the runes on your board to the same side. Playing ingredient cards requires you to flip and/or discard runes. Cards might score you points on their own, or might score you points for each of  a different ingredient or even a set of ingredients. Choosing the best combination of ingredients is how you maximize your points. The game ends when someone has played 11 cards. 

Thoughts
The more I think about Carnuta, the more I think it is elegantly simple and incredibly well designed. The components are beautiful and compelling! The artwork is lovely, the player boards are sturdy, and the slider that keeps track of cards and bonuses is a thoughtful touch that makes the game easier to manage. Similar gameplay probably could have been pulled off without the nice boards and tiles, but it would not have been as smooth and enticing.

The mechanisms around the runes feel unique. Since you often have to flip the runes to play cards, having both day and night cards in your hand is useful, but then you also have to make sure the points on them complement each other. The first play, my oldest doubled my score by going all in on one particular ingredient, but I don’t know that that would work every time, without just the right combination of cards. I've since played more times and find you really have to adapt your strategy depending on the cards available to you near the beginning of the game.

That being said, it still falls on the lighter end of the spectrum. I hope to teach my 7 year old soon. It would also be the perfect weeknight game or game to play among others on a bigger game night.

The only thing I don’t love is the box sleeve. It makes the game so pretty, but not all that functional.

 *game provided, but thoughts are my own

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Water Dragon Board Game Review

 

Water Dragons

Players: 2-4

Play Time: 15 minutes
Ages: 5+

Overview
In Water Dragons, players are racing to get their dragon to its nest first. Each water dragon is made of a head, body and tail, which have to move in order (the tail cannot overtake the body, for example). On your turn, you roll the die and can reroll up to two more times. Then you take the card of the corresponding color to move part of your dragon towards its nest. Sharks shake the dragons, making them pull their tails and heads into the middle, which can be either helpful or detrimental, depending on where the pieces are.

Thoughts
This is such a cute kids racing game that doesn’t feel like 100% luck and has no “mean” aspects! The dragon pieces are irresistible and the components are sturdy. Players have to manage how far ahead they let their head get compared to their tail and body. Being able to reroll a couple of times to choose your card brings in a bit of probability/risk management.

While it is actually my son’s game, I recently taught my almost 4 year old and she really enjoyed it (even if she needed help with strategy). I'm hoping it gets rotated into her games more often now!

*Game provided, but thoughts are my own!

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Ghosts Galore Board Game Review

 

Ghosts Galore

Players: 2-5

Play Time: 20 minutes

Ages: 10+

Ghosts Galore is a quick, family weight tile laying game with a fun push your luck drafting component. 

Overview

Players have 8 rounds to help monsters build a ghost train in an abandoned mineshaft (if we’re being honest, I called it a dungeon the whole time)! Each player gets a blank board with doors along the perimeter, a 3D minecart and a secret tile that they play at the end of the game. Tiles are then divided into facedown stacks. The first player flips the first tile and either claims it with their minecart or passes. The next player can choose the flipped tile or can flip the next one (without being able to take the already flipped tiles that turn). Once everyone but one person has placed their cart, that person gets the rest of the tiles to choose from before everyone places their tiles on their grids. This continues for 8 rounds, then everyone places their last tile and scores are calculated. Every type of monster scores differently.  2 points are also awarded for tiles connecting special doors and 1 per tile connecting regular doors, with no penalty for dead ends.

Thoughts

I love how quick and easy this one is. I was able to teach and play a game in about 15 minutes. The push your luck drafting aspect makes it feel fresh. Do you take the known quantity or hope for something better? Because there are so many different monsters, each has a unique way of scoring, and there are only 8 rounds, it is hard to get too lost in strategy. I love the cute/spooky vibe. Overall it’s a great family game or one good for a brain break. While I am excited to add it to our Halloween games, it is also one that I can see getting played other times of year!

*Game provided, but thoughts are my own!

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