The Cards
You get 60 cards that are numbered from 0 – 59. Several of the cards have a chicken pictured on them with various numbers of eggs. These the cards you want to avoid as they are the only cards that score. For each hand you count the number of eggs you have and multiply that number against the number of chickens you took. So if you had 2 chicken cards with 3 eggs on one and 2 on the other you would score 3+2 =(5) eggs times (2) chickens for a total of NEGATIVE 10 points! All other cards are ignored for scoring.
Playing the Game
To start the game, you deal out all the cards as appropriate for the number of players in the game. Once all the players have their cards, they organize their hand. Here is one of the little twists in this game. You only may play a card from the left or right hand side of your hand. There is a certain amount of strategy therefore to try put a good mix of low cards on one side and higher cards on the other so you have options, and of course you’ll have the blind chicken cards that hopefully will fall such that you can lose them to another player!
Once the round starts it is a straight forward, fast playing trick taking game. Similar to hearts you are trying to minimize your score (in this case minimize the negative score). The 0 is the low card and 60 is the high card, and remember you may only play from the edges of your sorted hand.
The good bits
Components
The cards of this version are of good quality and the art is fun. The box cover of the new version makes it look to me as though Kosmos may have chosen a more comical approach to the art. In the Berliner Spielkarten the cards are fun, not too cutesy and not too normal. I find them to be a perfect fit for the theme.
Rules
The rules are quite straightforward. No major hunting and scavenging involved to figure out what happens in odd situations. I found the rules to be well done. We were playing in no time for the first session. Subsequent sessions, needed only a slight refresher on the scoring.
Light hearted fun
I have played this game with my wife and another couple who we game with on occasion. We have enjoyed this game quite a bit. I would put it in the category of very good beer n’ pretzels game. We make people bawk like a chicken for each egg they get in a trick. Nothing helps a make a great game night like sound effects and props. The winner of our games has been know to strut around the room flapping their arms like wings and cackling. Maybe it’s just us…
Light strategy game
Perfect for gaming with another couple when the goal is socialization and making the other people do silly things like bawk for the number of eggs they get. You don’t have to think too much for this game but you can still have a whole lot of fun!
The not so good bits
Light strategy game
If you are looking for a deep strategy game, this is probably not the game for you. The strategy is 1) How to organize your hand and then 2) to play the left most or right most card. That is really it for decisions.
Overall
If you have another couple you game with (who aren’t major gamers) this may well be an enjoyable game to spring on them! It is easy to play, plays quickly and is fun enough for repeat playings. The couple we play this with has often requested it. We have enjoyed it quite a bit playing with our friends while sipping some foaming beverages and bawking like chickens :o)
Last edited on 2008-02-11 21:17:31 CST (Total Number of Edits: 1)
Posted Fri May 11, 2007 9:01 pm