It is
fall, and in Canada that means turning attention to winter pursuits such as
curling.
Not all
of us want to get out on the ice and throw stones, but with the 2010 release of
Caveman Curling there is a fun boardgame alternative you can play at the kitchen
table.
Caveman
Curling is a creation from game designer Daniel Quodbach, who also created Pitch Bowl, a
finger-flicking dexterity game based on football which looks great too, but is
sadly out-of-print.
The
designer hasn't exactly created something stunningly original, or unique, but
what he has managed to do is put together something really simple and fun.
If you
know curling at all you will recognize it clearly as the root of Caveman
Curling.
The
'caveman' aspect is purely a fun theme pasted on to the game mechanics which
allow for some whimsical art of the roll-up board.
The
board rolls up, and while that often means an issue with getting it to lay flat
come game time, a pair of magnet-based strips address that issue nicely.
Once
the board is laid out players take turns flicking a stone down the board, think
crokinole in terms of the flicking action.
As in
real curling you want to end up with the stone(s) close the centre of the rings
at the opposite end -- the imaginary cave in this game.
The
development of a game around the mechanics of curling, and using flicking of
pieces is not new at all.
What is
new is the addition of 'big' and 'small' hammers, pieces you can employ to move
a just shot stone closer to the centre by the length of the 'hammer'. Players
get two of each hammer, and since they only have six stones can pretty much
influence the final positioning of any important shot.
It is
too bad if you are out to mimmic curling the designer/production company did
not opt for eight stones for each player.
As it
is though I would suggest limiting hammers to one large and one small per
player to increase the importance on a skilled initial shot.
Players,
or teams of two, also get two totem pieces, which can be placed on a shot
stone. It has a couple of effects on the game, the biggest being if the
totem-protected stone is knocked out of play, the play gets to re-shoot that
stone at the end of the term.
Again I
would suggest one totem would suffice.
While
the game allows a bit too much interference with stones once they are played,
which devalues the skill aspect of a dexterity game, Caveman Curling is still a
lot of fun.
And the
interference can be addressed by leaving some hammer and totem pieces in the
box.
The
theme, while not really necessary, does give a pasted-on theme that explains
the hammers and token.
The
game pieces are wood, with stickers you apply to one side to add to the theme.
With
the board compactly rolling up the game stores and transports well. It should
be a hit with younger players, but is easily accessible by anyone, so think a
Christmas family gathering, or a cold winter family night and have fun.
For
more information check out www.eagle-gryphon.com
If
anyone is interested in this game, or other boardgames feel free to contact
calmardan@sasktel.net
-- Appeared in Yorkton This Week newspaper Oct 10, 2012
No comments:
Post a Comment