WRECK RAIDERS

Dive in

Kids Table Board Games in a row are from the same set, but treasure always has to fill out from the bottom (i.e. no empty spaces beneath treasures) so placement timing is critical. Matching one of the many public exhibit cards available scores big points, but if you display treasures in the exact sequence printed on the card, it provides bonus seashells or aquarium tiles. Said aquariums must be comprised of a bottom and can have up to one top piece, with as many middle pieces as desired. Top pieces score points for every time a certain seashell or tile appears in that aquarium, so the challenge comes

gather seashells. Also, when diving for treasure, any divers next to the one placed gather treasure as well, so grouping your divers will net big treasure bounties.

The game’s mechanics mesh like clockwork, with the random dice pool (using the box lid as a printed dice tray, brilliant!) forcing players to interact, which in turn produces more resources, encouraging players to score as many points as possible through whichever system they see the most potential in.

The game ends when a player completes a set number of exhibit cards, creating a flexible game timer where players with more exhibit cards only want to end the game when they might be ahead, giving others time to snatch one more aquarium tile or finish one more row of their vault.

In short, Wreck Raiders is an aesthetically charming game where players create aesthetically pleasing collections. It feeds into that simple glee of assembling a matching set of goodies without any bad feelings caused by blocking or stopping others from success. Some players will find it a little too saccharine or wince at the prospect of dice randomly deciding where you can go, but for anyone looking for a bright game that’s easy to teach and amusing to play, Wreck Raiders is worth splashing out for.

PLAY IT?

❚ YES

KTBG deliver an accessible worker placement game that encourages creative thinking with a delightful visual design. An easy recommendation for families and children at heart.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX?

◗ Rulebook

◗ Game board

◗ Reef board

◗ 5 Player boards

◗ 52 Exhibit cards

◗ 30 Wooden

diver meeples

◗ 5 Wooden crab

meeples

◗ 6 Dice

◗ 96 Cardboard

treasure tiles

◗ 54 Cardboard

seashell tokens

◗ 39 Aquarium tiles

TRY THIS IF YOU LIKED TAKENOKO

Both games dazzle with charming visuals and reward players who plan ahead, if you really enjoyed player interaction in the bamboo groves you’ll definitely want to play this.

75m 2-4 14+ £28

point-scoring and resource generating islands. A set of three random tide cards also dictate any rules changes or additional end game scoring.

All of this is rendered superbly tricky thanks to Polynesia’s clever round structure, whereby the efficacy or expense of the game’s four actions decline over the three turns in a round.As an example, taking a travel action in the first turn will grant three movement points but only one in the third. This mechanic leads to some fascinatingly difficult decisions; do you pay three fish to grab a route early, in the hopes of travelling it this turn, or pay only one at the end of the turn?

But, this isn’t the only impressive quirk to Sylvester’s design, who seems intent on squeezing every ounce of ingenuity into Polynesia’s slick gameplay. Two resources exist in the game; shells and fish. Each round one of the two will spoil as determined by the start player, eradicating the supplies of everyone at the table. It’s a simple and thematic twist that adds tension whilst deterring any attempts to monopolise on resources. Similarly thematic is the unpredictable volcanic endgame, triggered by the blind drawing of a sixth red lava cube. Despite this fitting well with the setting, it can be occasionally frustrating having your plans foiled by an unlikely premature finale.

Whilst this is a competitive game, rules encourage an element of cooperation. Previously claimed routes can be travelled by anyone, under the condition that the owner both accompanies that player and is paid for their troubles. But this friendly collaboration is perhaps more deceptive than it seems, especially when considering that players will likely not to be dragged around the map. Although, on the other hand, perhaps they do?

The curious pondering over these devious little rules is where Polynesia truly shines, but some players may find that the game’s relatively short playtime leaves little room to fully explore them. Consequently, Polynesia’s crunchy route building seems best suited to a families who perhaps cut their teeth on Ticket to Ride. There’s a greater depth to decisions here, perfect for those looking to explore the hobby further without straying too far from familiarity.

But for less casual players, Polynesia may still have enough to offer thanks to its deceptively competitive nature and some interesting player interactions. It might not reach the levels of strategy and complexity that its moderate scale may imply, but it’s undeniably clever in its own little way.

PLAY IT?

❚ MAYBE Sylvester’s mantra of ‘make it as simple as possible’ shines through in Polynesia’s fun and refined gameplay. In fact any budding designers could do far worse than to look to Polynesia for a crash course in slick efficiency.

TRY THIS IF YOU LIKED TICKET TO RIDE

Worth keeping in mind for those looking to graduate from Alan R Moon’s modern best seller.

20-40m

❚ 2-4

PLAY IT?

YES 12+ £14

ground. Players lay down bird cards of various denominations to add to the line. As soon as their value exceeds the bird currently at the bird feeder, it gets displaced by the biggest card in the line, while the player gets the replaced card and adds it to their set. The difference between the cards also allows players to pick up the corresponding seed cards for extra victory points. This may sound like a lot of math, but in the flow of the game it becomes almost unnoticeable.

The strategy, of course, comes from how to play your cards right to displace the specific birds and to avoid picking up squirrels and crows, which are occasionally found at the bird feeder, who will steal some of your cards. All these different elements of the game leave quite a lot to think about, but also pave many roads to how one could win the game, which entices you to return to the bird feeder once again.