Greg Schloesser
United States
Talbott
Tennessee
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Designer: Carey Grayson
Publisher: SunRiver Games
2 - 4 Players, 20 - 30 minutes
Review by: Greg J. Schloesser
NOTE: This review was first published in Knucklebones magazine
Released by SunRiver Games, 24 / 7 challenges players to play tiles so as to form runs or sets of numbers, or to accumulate totals valuing "7" or "24". In spite of this rather mundane objective, the tight grid of numbers makes spotting possible scoring opportunities quite challenging and fun.
One would think that with a name like "24 / 7", this game would somehow be related to time. Well, in a VERY loose way it is, as the rules are steeped in time-related terminology. There are "time out" stones, "double-time" spaces, and points are termed "minutes". It is a gallant attempt to give a theme to a decidedly abstract game.
The game is played with four sets of thick tiles numbered 1 - 10 and a board depicting a 7x7 grid, upon which the tiles will be played. Three tiles are removed prior to the game, eliminating the possibility of foolproof "tile" counting. Armed with an initial hand of 5 or 6 tiles, players alternate placing one tile at a time onto the board. The objective is to form runs of 3 - 6 consecutive numbers, sets of 3 or 4 numbers, or cause a cumulative total of "7" or "24" points. Points, termed "minutes" in game parlance, are tracked on a score pad, with victory going to the player achieving the most "time" when no further tiles can be played.
A tile must be played adjacent -- horizontally, vertically or diagonally -- to any previously placed tile. Scoring is immediate if a player successfully achieves a run, set or total as described above. If a "double time" space is covered, any score is doubled. Bonuses are earned if a player scores both a total of 7 and 24 with the placement of a tile, or if he achieves the sum of 24 by placing the 7th tile in that row. After placing a tile, a replacement is drawn.
An important rule is that no line of tiles can total MORE than 24, so some dead spaces will occur. These are marked by "Time Out" stones, which reduce the placement options as the game progresses.
Strategy wise, the game primarily relies on spotting ideal locations to optimize scores. This is more of a matter of being observant as opposed to any real strategic prowess. Sure, there are some strategies to employ, primarily keeping a good range of numbers available for placement, especially low-valued numbers. The overall skill, however, is one of spotting the optimum placements. There is a bit more control when playing with just 2-players, but the game is also fun and challenging with a full contingent of four.
24 / 7 is a fun, family game along the same lines as games such as Sequence or 5ive Straight. There isn’t a huge amount to think about, but there are enough decisions to be made to feel one’s victory is deserved rather than happenstance. Spending time with 24 / 7 is certainly time well spent.
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