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All Hail Knucklebeard!
Australia
Wodonga
Victoria
BorderCon 101 - Bring the fun, bring a smile, grab a game from the pile. Place the Meeple, play a card, swing your sword and kill the guard! So make the trip, don't be docile, look for details on my profile!
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All of my 'Light Reviews' aim to offer a brief overview that allows people to get a good feel for what the game may offer them, the options involved and general flow of play.
My reviews on children’s games aim to outline any educational merits to the game as well as the appeal they will have for the audience they were intended for...kids.
Summary
Game Type - Children's Board Game
Play Time: 10-30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-5
Mechanics - Roll and Move, Hand Management (Cards)
Difficulty - Pick-up & Play (Can be learned in under 10 minutes)
Components - Excellent ++
Image Courtesy of Werbaer
Overview
Giro Galoppo appears to be one in a new line of Children's Games from Rio Grande Games. This new range appears to target a variety of age groups but the one common trait between them all is the superb production values.
In Giro Galoppo the players are in the saddle of their own racehorse, ready to tackle the many jumps ahead in a steeplechase racing game (think Grand National) to the finish line. First past is declared the winner but there is plenty of opportunity along the way for trickery and the need to second guess the opposition.
The Components
Rio Grande appears to have found a partner in component maker Selectica and it is resulting in some amazing looking games in this new range. The game components are heads and shoulders above the average quality of children's games.
 The Board - The board depicts a winding racecourse that covers a total of 34 spaces. The start of the track offers a horseshoe start with various symbols to denote the various horses starting positions.
The track has sections of green (presumably grass) and brown (I assume dirt) and the brown sections are functional in the set-up as they are designated for setting up additional jumps. The track also features a Moor and a River, which must be crossed twice.
Image Courtesy of Werbaer
 Horses and Jockeys - Next come the stars of the show, the horses and the jockeys. The Jockeys are a separate component to the horses and this almost seems to be a bit overindulgent. What it does do however is allow the players to carefully select their horse and their rider to suit their tastes. It may not be that big a deal to us grown ups, but kids love that stuff. I can see the choice of horse being a big deal to some kids.
Both then get a few extra touches. The Jockeys have a felt cap protruding from their heads, which is another nod to the quality department. The Horses have a small indent under their front hooves, where a grass token can be inserted to represent the turf of the pitch. This last touch is perhaps a little too much and almost puts the game into overproduced territory.
Image Courtesy of cvandyk
Image Courtesy of cvandyk
 The Jumps - In addition to the natural jumps depicted on the board, the game offers a further 4 wooden jumps (x2 hedge jump) that must be placed in the set-up of the game. The variety is nice and again the colours were well chosen to stand out and make the game visually appealing.
Image Courtesy of cvandyk
 Cards - The cards are the key component that drive the game. There is one set of cards for each player, which are identical in value (range of 1-6). They only differ in colour and the icon which is featured on the back of the cards.
Image Courtesy of Werbaer
The components are not quite as amazing as those found in Viva Topo! but they are still of a very high quality and compare favourably to other top children's publishers such as Haba.
The Game Play
The aim of the game is to be the first past the finish line. Achieving that however can be a little trickier than it first seems.
Set-up - Before play can begin the track must be set-up, which means placing the 4 wooden jumps. The players take turns to place these and there are a few placement rules. Jumps can only be placed on the brown portions of the track and there must be at least 1 space between jumps. There must also be at least 2 jumps placed between the 2nd river jump and the finish line.
Once the jumps are placed, each player selects their Jockey and Horse. They take a deck of cards and they place themselves on the starting gate position with the icon that matches their card deck.
Image Courtesy of Werbaer
A Turn - Simultaneously each player must secretly select a card from their deck and place it face down on the table. Once all players have made a selection, all cards are revealed to see what each player selected. The value of each card denotes how far the rider is able to move. But there are a few simple rules to follow to determine movement order.
Movement - The lowest valued card always moves first. If two cards should be tied for the lowest value, the rider that is furthest back in the field moves first. If there is a tie for the lowest card at the start of the game, the oldest player moves first (the advantage for the youngest player will be evident shortly).
Once the next mover is identified, the horse and jockey can move the full amount of the card that they played. Movement is carried out in this way for all riders.
Jockeying for Position - Should a horse and Jockey move into a position already occupied by another Horse and Rider, they will displace them, moving them back one position. This can also result in a chain of backward movements should the pack be close together.
This then can have great implications on the race as players may have chosen certain values for a reason and those plans may now be thrown into chaos.
 Clearing Jumps - Then there is the problem of the jumps. There are two types of jumps; the natural kind (Moor and River Crossings) and the physical jumps placed by the players at the start of the game. What they have in common however is that they must be cleared in order to continue the race. If at any time a player's move would result in their Horse and Rider landing on an obstacle, the movement for that turn is forfeited!
When combined with the rule above that allow player's to displace other Horses (by landing on their space) the game reveals itself to be much more challenging than it first seems. Suddenly it is imperative to be able to second guess the moves of others. Get it wrong and it can prove very costly.
 Ending a Turn - Once all players have had a chance to move their Horse and Jockey, the current round ends. All cards played are placed in a discard pile (for each player) and future turns are played out as outlined above, with the exception that they have fewer cards at their disposal.
Only when all cards have been played do the players get their cards back to open up their movement options.
In this way the importance of card management is revealed. You have to be quite careful not to leave yourself with only 1 or 2 cards that only allow you to move onto a jump as that will result in a forfeit move.
 Game End - The game will end at the end of the turn when 1 or more horses manage to pass the finish line. Should more than 1 horse pass the post in the same turn, the winner is determined by the player that finishes furthest past the post (made the most ground), For this reason a total of 6 spaces are present after the finish line and the rules regarding landing on another horse will ensure there is only 1 winner.
Image Courtesy of droolster
So Where's the Games Appeal?
The Thrill of the Race - Show me a child and I'll show you someone who likes to race. That is the central appeal of Giro Galoppo. The game is also well designed to ensure that even with the potential for screwage (more on that in a moment) the finishes will be fairly tight and make the players feel like they only just won or lost.
That's good for the addiction factor.
Flexible Decision Making - Whilst card management is important, the decision of which cards to play on any given turn are largely unimportant in the opening half of the game. This is of course not true when factoring in the location of jumps, but if we assume the players are able to manage this well and don't get their plans fouled up by being pushed back, then all the players are going to cover roughly the same distance on the 1st play through their decks (on account of the cards being equal in value).
This is a good thing for young kids as they feel like they have some control over what they are doing, when in fact they are likely to be placed within 1-5 spaces of each other by the midpoint of the race (screwage aside).
Meaty Game - Unlike many children's games, there are some real meaty decisions to be made in the early middle and end game. It is critical to factor in the remaining jumps and what cards you want to have left when it comes time to turn the last corner and head for the finish. Added to that are the mechanics of lowest card moves first and the rules for 2 horses passing the line in the same turn. These all require deep thought and a fair degree of second guessing of the opposition. Indeed it doesn't hurt to pay attention to the cards that have already been exhausted by the other players to assist in the second guessing!
These considerations allow the game to be interesting for older children of 8-12, which many kids’ games do not cater for.
Luck's a Fortune - If you hadn't forgotten, this is a children's game. So thankfully lady luck plays a fairly big part in Giro Galoppo. It doesn't matter how well you think you know what the other players are going to do, odds are you will be surprised on more than one occasion. This then allows the game to remain fun for families as the kids have a reasonable chance of luck coming to their aid to beat those 'thinky' adults. 
Pacing - Each player's deck contains a total value (in cards) of 21. Given that the track only requires 35 spaces worth of movement to cross the finish line, the game is guaranteed to last fewer than 2 full runs through the deck. With each turn taking between 10-40 seconds to complete, the game is a quick affair that doesn't outstay its welcome and may well encourage 2-3 plays in a sitting.
Theme - Racing is always popular and horses/ponies are a big hit with little girls and some boys too. I can see many parents eyeing this game off for their little girl or children as the theme is light and friendly.
Customisation - People in general display a higher level of engagement when they have had some personal input. Children are no exception and allowing them to choose where the wooden jumps are placed gives them another feeling of engagement and control over the game.
Any Concerns?
I have a couple but the main one is -
Too Much Meat - Despite the potential for lady luck to balance things out, Giro Galoppo really is a heavy game for young minds. Concepts such as hand management, being able to track what your opponent's have already played in order to 2nd guess them and having the presence of mind to plan 2-3 moves ahead to avoid being left with cards that won't clear jumps, is just too much for young gamers.
This isn't surprising when you consider that the core of the game is much the same as that found in games like Ave Caesar and to a lesser degree Robo Rally, which are known for their 'screw your opponent' bent.
This in turn means the game really doesn't allow children and adults to play on a level playing field and that will be an issue for many families. This is most evident in the end game when 2 and 3 key considerations must be factored into the selection of cards. I'd expect that a good adult player would enjoy a 60-70% win condition over a child.
Pot Luck - If we accept the assertion that there is a little too much expected of children in terms of the mechanics, then we have a game that essentially boils down to the luck of how the cards come out. That may work in favour of the game for helping it stay somewhat competitive, but as a game in its own right I can't help but feel it makes it a little flawed.
Cost - As with Viva Topo!, I feel at AUD$59, the game is a little overpriced. Did I need a felt cap on my Jockeys? Probably not. Could I have simply had a single molded horse and Jockey piece? Yes. I'm sure that some families will see the components as validating the game at this price, I only raise this point as I think it is likely to be a barrier to some families buying it.
The Final Word
In the end I think Giro Galoppo is a good game but it is a little unsure of what it actually wants to be; Children's Game or Meaty Game with the presentation of a children's game.
Perhaps I am being too harsh as this game is certainly excellent for slightly older children (say 8-12 year olds) and we should applaud games that give children a challenge and don't treat them like 'unthinking' individuals.
I guess my concern stems from the theme being very attractive to children of a much younger age but the mechanics are really not accessible to them as they are intended. Don't get me wrong, I think kids of all ages can enjoy this game and most likely will.
Parents may not enjoy it as much if they feel they cannot play along without fear of crushing their children more often than not.
It's also worth noting that the movement resolution (pushing other player's back if you land on them) is much the same as that seen in Monza. The key difference being that a dice is used to move in Monza and not cards. This gives the game a slightly more chaotic feel (less control) but that also helps to level the playing field. So if you have boys (or children that prefer cars to horses) or you want a more level playing field with the young ones, I'd check out Monza instead. A link to my Monza review can be found below.
Links to other Reviews on Children's Games
Hula Hippos
Knuckling Knights
Monza
Double Shutter Junior
Viva Topo!
Whirlpool
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Bob
United States
Nebraska
Don't squat with your spurs on.
Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction.
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Thanks for the review Neil!
Looks like you've hand your hands full teaching the kids lately. Cudos on that! 
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All Hail Knucklebeard!
Australia
Wodonga
Victoria
BorderCon 101 - Bring the fun, bring a smile, grab a game from the pile. Place the Meeple, play a card, swing your sword and kill the guard! So make the trip, don't be docile, look for details on my profile!
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Ashitaka wrote: Thanks for the review Neil! Looks like you've hand your hands full teaching the kids lately. Cudos on that!
Cheers Bob. I'm a member of BoardgamesAustralia and am on the judging panel for Children's Game of the Year so July/Aug is a good time for this sort of thing.
The boys have really enjoyed it and Isaac is asking me daily when he would be old enough to play all sorts of games.
This summer we go for Memoir '44 and perhaps Formula De. 
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skrebs
United States
Davis
California
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I can't really agree with your complaints about the game and I'm not sure you can even agree with yourself.
 You seem to think it's too much for kids but you say: Quote: Don't get me wrong, I think kids of all ages can enjoy this game and most likely will. Huh?
If kids play with kids, then they should be on a level playing field. If kids play with adults, then adults should have the advantage.
I've played this game with kids from 5 to 12, sometimes with other adults, and every time the kids have loved it. The only time it didn't go over awesomely was when my 5 year old got cranky because she came in 2nd place in a 4 player game.
Anyway, it's my current favorite race game. We'll see if it holds up to Snow Tails which I should get to play within the next month.
Thanks for writing a review for this little know game.
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All Hail Knucklebeard!
Australia
Wodonga
Victoria
BorderCon 101 - Bring the fun, bring a smile, grab a game from the pile. Place the Meeple, play a card, swing your sword and kill the guard! So make the trip, don't be docile, look for details on my profile!
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skrebs wrote: I can't really agree with your complaints about the game and I'm not sure you can even agree with yourself. You seem to think it's too much for kids but you say: Quote: Don't get me wrong, I think kids of all ages can enjoy this game and most likely will. Huh? If kids play with kids, then they should be on a level playing field. If kids play with adults, then adults should have the advantage. I've played this game with kids from 5 to 12, sometimes with other adults, and every time the kids have loved it. The only time it didn't go over awesomely was when my 5 year old got cranky because she came in 2nd place in a 4 player game. Anyway, it's my current favorite race game. We'll see if it holds up to Snow Tails which I should get to play within the next month. Thanks for writing a review for this little know game.
Fair call and I recognise there are a few contradictions in there.
My point is that kids will likely enjoy it for the theme and won't care too much about the tricky elements of the game that may be beyond there cognitive skills.
But I don't think the game offers a level playing field if an adult really wants to use all their faculties when playing against kids.
But we all know that reviews are objective so it's ok to have different viewpoints. For the record I generally dislike games where all players have the same cards and timing is the key mechanic. I find them a little dry.
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Jill Hetttinger
United States
Idaho
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Game varient that opens Giro Galoppo to the younger set!
Instead of children choosing a card to play - have them shuffle their card set (randomizing the cards) then have everyone turn over a new card each turn. This simplifies the the game significantly, but really doesn't change the feel of the game much. Players end up loosing turns, pushing each other back, and still progressing forward. As the child gets older you can introduce the idea of planning out their play by picking their cards to play - as the rules instruct.
I just introduced my 5 year old boy to this game and he has requested more plays since. We still randomizes the cards with him. Other games he likes to play inlclude: Vivo Topo, Kids of Carcassonne, Gulo Gulo, Chicken Cha Cha Cha, Cars Uno, Nemo Go Fish, Crayola Crazy Eights, Labyrinth, Enchanted Forest (still working on the strategy with this one), Walk the Dogs, Hi Ho Cherry-o.
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BorderCon 101 - Bring the fun, bring a smile, grab a game from the pile. Place the Meeple, play a card, swing your sword and kill the guard! So make the trip, don't be docile, look for details on my profile!
