Game Reviews: Pandasaurus Small Box Games

Who doesn’t love a good board game? I love them all-big, small, wide, tall and everything inbetween! I like to see them on my table and play them with the people I love. And sometimes a quick, small-box game is easier to get to the table in my house than it is for some of the more complex, bigger games. So today I want to take a look at a few of my small box favorites and what big things you can expect in these little packages!

We are going to be looking at a number of games from Pandasaurus Games that are small in size and easy to play. Let’s jump right in shall we?

The Game: Quick and Easy

The Game is designed for 2-5 players and plays in approximately 10 mins.

For those already familiar with the original, The Game is designed so that everyone at the table is playing together to try and win as a team. There are a total of 50 number cards in 5 different colors or suits. Each color suit here has a unique piece of artwork featured on the card. The goal is to try and play all 50 cards together as a team!

The game is set up by placing the two Sequence cards, 1 ascending and 1 descending int he middle of the table with a draw stack of the 50 cards shuffled in the middle. Each player is dealt a hand of two face-down cards.

Starting with the first player and moving clockwise, a player will choose one or two of the cards in their hand to pay on one of the piles of ascending or descending cards. then they draw back up to two cards. Two rules must be followed when placing cards:

The numbers on the ascending stack must always be higher than the card below it. You can skip numbers but they must move in an upward direction.
The numbers on the descending stack must always be lower than the card below it. You can skip also here, but they must move downward.

There is one last trick that you will use as well, and this is key in the game. If you can lay the same color of the card on a stack then you can ignore the previous two rules and place any numbered card!

The game ends when all the cards are placed or if a player cannot play a card based on the regular or reverse rules.

Impressions:

I really enjoy this one. It is simple and tight, leaving little room for analysis paralysis while still being a game you must be thoughtful in playing. There is limited communication for a game like this allowed, but it does keep for a fun time around the table that you can still interact with each other when you are playing. For a cooperative experience, this is one of the best games you will find at this price point and time commitment.

Another great part of this is the speed of this when it comes to time commitment-it is an easy one to drop on the table and have a good time playing without having it drag on too long. So it fits well to start or finish a long night of gaming, play while waiting for dinner to come at your favorite restaurant or to get in a quick game with the family before bed.

Overall I highly recommend it and hope you get a chance to check it out soon! The Game Quick and Easy is sure to move itself to the top of your list of games that are easy to teach, easy to learn and loads of fun!

Qwinto

Qwinto is designed for 2-6 players and plays in 15 mins.

Qwinto involves players trying to write down as many numbers as they can off of dice rolls in three different rows on their score card. You win by scoring the most points in your placements of completed rows, columns and bonus points.

Each player begins with their own score sheet and pencil and play begins with the first player moving clockwise. On your turn, players will decide first if they want to roll 1, 2 or 3 dice on their turn. They pick the color of dice they will use and must stick with it for the turn. You may roll and then re-roll if you would like all of the dice. Then you sum up the totals of all the dice used.

Now all players may enter that sun in one space on their score sheet. It must be placed in a row of a color of one of the dice used. The rules for placement are as follows:

Numbers in a color row must be placed in ascending order from left to right and cannot be repeated.
Numbers in a column may not appear more than once in that column.

The player who rolled the dice must use the number, everyone else has it as an option to use it or not. If the player who rolled them cannot use it, they record a failed attempt at the bottom of the card.

The game ends when a player fills to rows or has recorded their fourth failed attempt. Scoring takes place by looking first at the rows. If there are no empty spaces, use the largest number on the far right as part of your score. If there are empty spaces, instead count the total number of entries on the row and use that total as your score for the row. Each column scores if they are complete-if so record the highest number in the column as your score. The player with the highest score wins!

Impressions:

Qwinto brings some really easy roll and write mechanics to the table to learn and play but proves to be a real challenge to master! The first few times of this game are definitely a learning experience trying to figure out where and when to place numbers and which dice you should and shouldn’t use. I have had fun each time we play this trying different things to get to the win and some have gone easier than others!

For the family this game works as a good challenge without being overwhelming, so we have been able to play this with a varied level of gaming experience and not have anyone feel too inundated like some heavier games can do to non-gamers. I love the simple design and play of this one for that reason. It isn’t flashy, but it doesn’t need to be. Qwinto should be a game you look to get to the table for friends and family who love to roll dice and puzzle through a challenge-it is sure to be a hit with that crowd!

Illusion

Illusion is designed for 2-5 players and plays in approximately 15 mins.

In Illusion, players take turns placing a card of abstract art in a row to correctly sequence the percentage of the color for the round in ascending order.

There are 12 arrow cards of different colors, 3 of each color placed face down in a shuffled pile. The top one is revealed and then the 98 color cards are shuffled and placed face up next to the arrows on the table.

During the game, the active player will choose the top card from the art card deck and place it where they think it goes in the sequence in ascending order of percentage of the pieces of art of that color. The next player in line must decide if they want to play the next card in the same way or challenge the validity of the row. If players continue to play cards, the row will continue to grow.

If a player questions the validity of the row in play on their turn they will announce “I don’t believe it”. All the cards are flipped over and if they are sequentially not going into ascending order then the player who questioned it gets the arrow card. If they were all correct then the arrow card is awarded to the previous player who placed the last card.

Gameplay continues with a new arrow card and new color cards played to the middle as previous rounds. The winner is decided when someone has obtained 3 arrow cards.

Impressions

Illusion is a simple game in theory but it is way more challenging than what meets the eye. The game often runs into a push your luck challenge, where you don’t know if you should keep trying to place just one more card in the row or call out the person before you. It is a fun and challenging aspect to this game that really makes it shine.

Overall if you want a game that is a little more challenging and thinky, this one definitely fits the bill. Illusion is a game that plays well with players who enjoy the notion of trying to puzzle through the cards played and really think about the progression on the table. Check this one out for gamers and non-gamers alike who enjoy a good challenge!

Silver & Gold

Silver & Gold is designed for 2-4 players and plays in approximately 20 mins.

In Silver & Gold players are competing to score the most points through their personal treasure maps using the different reviewed expedition cards. 7 turns a round and 4 rounds make up the game. In the end the player with the most points wins!

Each player starts with a score card and choose two of the four Treasure cards given to them to play face-up. All treasure cards that remain are shuffled and placed into a face-down pile on the table. Expedition cards are placed in a face-down deck as well.

The game is played over four rounds with seven turns in each round. The top Expedition card is revealed and then players will all simultaneously cross off squares that match the shape of that card. Doing so will help progress towards finishing a Treasure card, which is competed once all the boxes are crossed off. It may also unlock coins, trees or other X’s that help with finishing the board or adding extra points.

Completed treasure cards are placed to the side and a new one is obtained. Once the round of 7 turns ends, reshuffle the Expedition cards and begin again!

The game ends after four rounds. Add up all crossed off coins, each gained trophy and the scores from palm trees along with the treasure cards points. The player with the highest number of points is the winner!

Impressions

Silver & Gold fits neatly into the roll and write category of games that have really taken off the last few years. Although there are a lot to choose from, this one is by far one of the best in my collection. The gameplay is easy to pick up on but challenging to determine when the best time is to maximize your x’s on the treasure cards for each Expedition card. Players who do well with planning ahead and thinking through their turns will find that to he a strong advantage here as you try and figure out which Expedition cards will be up next from the deck.

We have enjoyed playing this one with the family and everyone who has tried it out is ready for another game right after. Once again the size of this one lends to the ease of portability and chance for playing it away from the home game table. It has gone with us on vacation and plays well on limited surfaces and areas.

Overall Silver & Gold gets a high recommendation from me for gamers and non-gamers alike. The simple-to-learn but hard-to-master game will keep everyone coming back to the table searching out their own stash of treasure!