Have you ever started something and got it 90% complete, then something happens in your life, and that thing just sits at 90% complete for so long that you eventually forget about it until one day it just hits you like a ton of bricks that you never actually finished the thing? On a completely unrelated note, here’s my review of Panda Royale that I most definitely did not start writing after attending Origins earlier this year back in June. Don’t look at today’s date. Don’t do the math. Because you’ll need to do plenty of (basic) math in this game from Last Night Games, designed by Nate and Jake Jenne.
Gameplay
Panda Royale is a dice chucker, roll & write. A more gamified version on Yahtzee, if you will. There is beauty in its simplicity. While Yahtzee uses 5 standard 6-sided dice, Panda Royale introduces dice of many different shapes and colors.
It is played over 10 rounds. Each round, you will roll all of your dice and calculate their values on your score sheet. Each different color of dice scores a bit differently or has different effects.
Yellow – Everyone starts the game with a single yellow die. This is how priority is determined for the drafting phase. The highest yellow value will pick first. If you have multiple yellow dice, just add them to get the sum. Yellows come in d6 and d8.
Blue – You just add all your blue dice together. However, if you have at least one blue die with gold glitter, you get to DOUBLE this score. Blue dice are d6, d8, and d12, however the blue glitter dice are only d6.
Purple – Add up all of your purple dice, and double the sum. Purple are d8 and d12.
Red – This is probably the most complicated to explain. You add up the values showing on all red dice, and multiply it by the number of red dice. However, the red dice have both BLACK and WHITE numbers on them. If it is a black number, it is counted as negative towards the overall sum. This can lead to negative results getting multiplied. Red is definitely the highest risk, highest reward color to go for. Reds come in d6 and d8.
Green – Green are simple, just add them up to get the sum. But every Green is a d20.
Pink – These are referred to as the “pity dice”, and there are only a set number of them, based on player count. They are given to the lowest scoring players after each round. Pink dice are d12s.
Clear – The clear dice are the crux of player interaction. You just add up the sum of your clear dice to score points. After all the scoring is completed for the round, each clear die is traded to another player to steal any of their dice. Clear dice are d6.
After all players finish scoring their dice for the round, and clear dice are resolved, we move to the draft phase. Dice are drawn from the bag equal to the number of players +1. In the current round’s yellow score order, players draft a new die to their dice pools. Once everyone has drafted, the one leftover die is returned to the bag. Move on to the next round with all players rolling their dice, and repeat. After 10 rounds of this, add up points scored in each round and the player with the highest score wins.
Theme
There is essentially no thematic element to this game. The box has panda artwork, and the first player token has a panda on it. There is a paragraph in the beginning of the rulebook about how different colors of dice represent different tribes of Pandas. It’s cool. It’s fine. This game doesn’t need a story.
That said, I think the game is PERFECTLY themed and titled. It just needs something to grab your attention, and the panda artwork is striking on the box. The pandas are black and white, the bamboo pattern in the background is dark gray, but every panda is adorned in a clothing garment in a bright color corresponding to one of the colors of dice. And as far as the title goes, the first thing that comes to mind when hearing the word “royale”, (after royale with cheese) would be a pro wrestling battle royale, and the James Bond movie, Casino Royale. This game is a free-for-all with drafting and stealing dice. But also, the casino element is present with the loads of dice as used in classic casino games.
No, this is not a thematic game, but I give the theme 10/10, because it adds just enough eye-catchiness and name context to get you there.
Final Thoughts
I have played this game with peers, and I have played it with my children. I have played with gamers and non-gamers. My nephew is 12 years old and an absolute jock. He plays sports year-round. He’s either wrestling, playing soccer, or training of those two. He’s placed in state wrestling tournaments. This kid is active to the extreme. Earlier this summer he came over a few times to hang out with his cousins. On one of the rainy days, we played some board games, and let me tell you, this game hooked him. It has got to the point that when he comes over, even if the weather is nice and the kids are outside, he’ll make sure we have time to play it before he leaves. It’s quick enough that it’s over in 20-30 minutes. Every choice feels impactful because you see the direct result as soon as you’re rolling all of your dice. And that last round just feels satisfying in a tactile sense, rolling 10 chunky dice.
Panda Royale plays 2-10 players and can easily be taught to players of any age and experience. It has become my go-to game with friends when we are either waiting for everyone to arrive or play one last game before calling it a night. There have been times that one game becomes four in the blink of an eye, because it’s so easy to just flip your score sheet over and play again.
I love Panda Royale. It’s a great game that’s easy to teach and can be fun with any number of players. With its short playtime and interactive choices, it fits a niche that every gaming collection needs.
Be the first to comment