Sometimes you just want to play a fun game with fun characters and theme. Something that speaks to all ages, brings a level of cuteness factor and makes you want a snack all at the same time. Today here at Gaming with Sidekicks, I want to introduce you to the game that fits all of those things into a nice tidy package.
Yummy World: Party at Picnic Palace is a new game from Wizkids and Kidrobot. Designed by Phil Walker-Harding, this game plays 2-4 players in 20-30 minutes and is for ages 8+. It features the adorable food characters from the Yummy World line in a simple to learn card game.
Components:
This game comes in a small box design with a variety of character cards. At its core, it is only a deck of cards that you need to play. Those 12 cards include:
-20 Sassy
-20 Kyle Kiwi
-14 Baron Von Bacon
-14 Sunny
-10 Sprinkles
-8 Cheezey Pie
-8 Pauly Pickle
-6 Flaco Taco
-6 Franky
-2 Bunford Burger
-12 Invitation cards
Gameplay:
The game consists of a deck of cards that is flipped over each round into multiple rows. Grab sets when you can, but if you wait too long your opponent will get them before you. Collecting enough of some cards will give you more points as they match.
Each player begins with 3-4 Invitation cards, depending on the number of players. 3 rows of face down cards are laids out, with anywhere from 9-12 cards in each row. The first player flips two cards at the start of each row face up. Then play begins with that player. On your turn, you must perform one of the following actions:
1-Flip cards face up
2-Use an invitation card to take all the face up cards in a single row
3-Use a Pauly Pickle card to take any single face up card in any row
When a player chooses to flip cards face up, they flip the left most card in a row face up and end their turn. In a 2 player game, they chose a second card and do the same. When you chose to use an invitation card, you must have a face up invitation available to use first. You flip that card face down and take all of the face up cards in a single row into your personal collection. Finally you may also chose to play a Pauly Pickle card to take any one face up card in a row.
If a player has no invitation cards left, they are out for that round. The round is over once all players have flipped and used all of their invitation cards. Any remaining cards are discarded and scoring is done. Based on the amount of each card you collected, you score that set according to the score sheet at the bottom of each card. Some cards have a single value and count each for the amount listed. 
The only cards that don’t score are Pauly Pickle and Sprinkles cards. Pauly is discards for no score, and Sprinkles are kept until the end of the game. This scoring and restart of the rows happens for a total of 3 rounds, then the end game scoring is done. The player with the most Sprinkles cards is given 10 extra points, and the one with the least take a 10 point deduction. The winner is the one with the most points!
Impressions:
Things that could better:
-Variety. This game is fun but it suffers from variety in gameplay. Some different play-style options would be nice, especially if it allowed you to still use the cards and just vary it up a bit.
Things we liked:
-Gameplay. This game is simple and smooth. It is a solid set collection game skinned with a popular IP that will attract some people who might not otherwise pick up a game and play it. It is one that everyone in our house has enjoyed playing young and old alike!
-Speed. I like games I can setup quick, play quick and get back in the box. With Yummy World, you can have the fun of a set collection game with minimal setup and speed of playing. It is very similar to the game Sushi Go, but has significantly less setup requirement in it.
-Cutness. I think this sometimes gets missed in games. This game is cute, and that alone can be enough to draw players to the table. If you are looking for a fun game that will be attractive to people looking for something that isn’t orcs, vikings and goblins-this will seem much less aggressive to those players.
Overall:
Yummy World: Party at Picnic Palace is a fun card game likely to appeal to all ages in your home. This set collection and matching game is everything we look for in a kids game with the right amount of strategy and gameplay to attract an adult gamer into the mix with them! There are some great kids games out there that don’t really speak to all ages, but Yummy World has found the right mix to do that. Make sure to check this game out at your local store and bring it to your next game night!
