Crazy Creatures of Dr. Gloom

Crazy Creatures of Dr. Gloom
Designed by Michael Schacht

Introduction / Backstory
Scientists sometimes have a bad rap. Put on a white lab coat and forget to comb your hair for the day and what are you labeled? A "Mad Scientist" most likely. You have to admit that in our fictional world there are a lot of examples of scientists messing with something that quickly grows into a big issue creating all sorts of problems. Think of Dr. Frankenstein and Flint Lockwood (Mmmm....giant food). In Crazy Creatures of Dr. Gloom, you have your heart on becoming the greatest scientist ever! You want...nay...need to become the apprentice of the great Doctor Gloom (or Doom depending on where you live) to realize your dream. Rumors of crazy creatures in the forest surrounding the mansion of Doctor Gloom and colorful clouds coming from his chimney has really peaked your interest. Lucky you - he is looking for a select few to help him with his current project! Will you be successful? Stand out above your competitors on this project and you can become his apprentice and start your way to fame and glory (or at least win the game).

I am a big fan of Michael Schacht's Coloretto and Zooloretto. The game mechanic of those games is just fantastic. This game takes a different, very simple, game mechanic and makes a nice family card game that everyone can enjoy. I think that this game will appeal to those who like games such as Coloretto, Lost Cities, Pinata, Slide 5, Uno, Love Letter, and Little Devils. I can see a lot of different little elements from these games in Crazy Creatures (i.e. the points listed on some of the cards like in Little Devils/Slide 5, the Increasing and Decreasing sides to the machine cards like in Pinata, trying to get rid of your cards first like in Uno, the strategic thought process of trying to determine what your opponents have in their hand like Love Letter...). The game can be a great "filler" for those hard-core gamer types and it provides a very easy, kid-friendly game that the entire family can have fun with. The illustrations are really well done. The way that the monsters evolve and are depicted reminded me of Pokemon (yes, I grew up playing the first U.S. version on my Game Boy).

Overview / Components
You can play Crazy Creatures with 2 to 4 players. I feel that it does play well with just 2 players. The game takes up to 20 minutes to play but can be shorter with just 2 players. Kids ages 7 and up will be able to play the game nicely. Shuffling is required in between rounds but not during game play. Some of the cards are not used each round creating some good unknown element to the game. The game doesn't take up a lot of room and is very easily packed around. While the game may not offer deep strategy, it still offers more strategy than Uno. Players must decide whether to make another draw a card, or change the machine from Increasing to Decreasing. You will want to try and wait to play some cards if you think other players have a duplicate one. Really fun stuff.

The components are great quality all packaged in a nice tin. Instructions are easy to read and understand with helpful illustrations. Cards shuffle well and again, the illustrations on the cards of the creatures/monsters are really enjoyable. The game includes 4 machine cards, and 48 creature cards (1 through 6 in each color/creature twice).

Set Up and Game Play
Game set up is really simple. Place the 4 machine cards with the plus or increasing sign up (possible alternative house rule: place these cards on the table randomly increasing or decreasing side up). Shuffle all 48 creature cards. Deal 12 cards to each player (10 in a 4 player) and deal 8 into a side pile. The rest of the cards are not used this round (in a 4 player game, all cards will be used).

On a player's turn, they play one card from their hand if they are able to the side of one of the machine cards corresponding to the color of creature card (possible alternative house rule: you can choose to pass even if you are able to play a card). You have to play cards according to what the machine for that color currently shows. If the machine is showing the increase side, you must play a card equal or higher than what is shown (special rules for the DNA symbol type cards 1s and 6s). Play then proceeds clockwise. If you can't play, you pass (you may be able to play next time around). If a player is able to play an identical card onto another already in play, that person gets to choose between two bonuses. They can make any other player of their choice take one card from the pile of 8 OR they can choose to flip one of the machine cards switching the rules for that color/creature pile. The DNA symbol cards can be played on one another. This makes it possible to play a 1 on a 6 and vice versa. Pretty handy!

Round / Game End
The round ends when a player plays their last card. Other players then get one more turn if they can play (recommended house rule: end the round immediately and don't allow any further turns). Players then score what remains in their hand. You score one point for each skull and crossbones (cards either have 0, 1, or 2). This gets added to your total. The player who triggers the end of the round by going out first gets a bonus by subtracting 3 points from their total (possible house rules: you can disregard this bonus if you like, or you could allow negative points - in the actual rules, you subtract 3 not going lower than 0). For each game it says to play a number of rounds equal to the amount of players. I feel that for a 2 player game at least, it feels really short. So, you could create a a house rule where you just decide an amount of rounds, or you can always just play again! The winner is the one with the least amount of points.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts
The first time I played it, I honestly felt pretty indifferent about the game. Didn't think it was bad, didn't think it was mind-blowingly awesome. The more I play the game though, the more I have come to enjoy it - a lot. So, take that into consideration. Don't just play it once and make your conclusion about the game. I think a game by  Michael Schacht deserves more than that - this game definitely does. In fact, after a few plays, I have decided to give it a 4 fingers up or 9 out of 10 stars! Now, the enjoyment level for you will differ depending on what you are looking for. Those who like Agricola may not enjoy it nearly as much as one who enjoys games more like Uno, Little Devils, or Coloretto. The game is a simple one, but has plenty of room for strategy and is quickly taught and played. A great portable card game that everyone can enjoy and that is How Lou Sees It!

A big SHOUT OUT to Stronghold Games for making this review possible.

Flamingos, Felines, and Fifty Days

Day 50 - Zooloretto
Designed by Michael Schacht

Tonight is Day 50 of my A Game A Day (AGAD) project! Wow, I can't believe I have played a different game each day for 50 days straight. I owe a giant SHOUT OUT to The Wife for sticking with me in this endeavor. She deserves a great big prize at the end of this thing, that's for sure. I told her tonight that there is an end in sight to this project since I am running out of games to play. I still have a few games up my sleeve, but those will run out quickly. Don't worry fans, I have not played all of the best games leaving you with a lackluster finish. Games that you can look forward to include Power Grid, Forbidden Island, Limits, Go, Citadels, Killer Bunnies, Kill Doctor Lucky, and Dominion. So, I think we are going to be able to make it to 60, but we will see how much longer I can last after that. Once I run out of games to play, I will continue to review games and add them to the list as they become available. I think that it is fitting that on Day 50 The Wife and I share our second tie of the series. Thank you everyone for your support and now onward to tonight's game review.

For fans of Michael Schacht's Coloretto, this is a no brainer. Zooloretto uses the same concept from Coloretto to acquire animals for your zoo. In your zoo, you have multiple areas where you can show off your animals, but keep in mind that you still only have limited room to keep the animals. If you find yourself with too many animals of one kind, or you see yourself with a little flamingo with no where to go, these animals stay in your barn (where for each kind of animal in the barn, you get -2 points). The game has vendor stalls to help you get points at the end of the game where you may not be able to otherwise, and they give you a +2 points for each different type in your zoo. Some animals are in the mood for love and will supply you with a little baby if you are ready for one or not! Zooloretto mixes the best elements from Coloretto and presents the same concept in a fun theme for all ages. Zooloretto is made for 2 to 5 players and takes about 40 minutes to play. There are a lot of expansions for Zooloretto as well as a stand alone/expansion called Aquaretto (look for the game with the dolphin on the front). You can't go wrong with any of these games from Michael Schacht and that is just How Lou Sees It.

Coloretto

Day 8 - Coloretto
Designed by Michael Schacht
Guest Reviewer: The Wife

While Lou is off buying me delicious fro-yo as my consolation prize, I thought I'd take this opportunity to try my hand at the game reviewing business. Coloretto is one of my favorite quick card games that we own. It is meant for 2-5 players, ages 8 and up, and takes about 20 minutes to play. Tonight we played the two player version; however, it is equally as delightful with more players. Game play goes as follows: each player starts with one of the six colors (different from other players) lying in front of you, the objective is to score the most points by collecting the most of three colors (or there is a version of game play where the optimum number of cards in one color is 3 and more than that is worth fewer points). Any other colors collected will be subtracted from your score. A typical turn consists of drawing a card and adding it to one of the three reserve piles, when playing with two players. One reserve pile holds one card, the next holds two, and the final pile holds three cards though it isn't required for the pile to reach its limit before taking it. (When playing with more than 2 players the number of reserve piles equals the number of players and each pile can hold up to three cards) If you want the cards in one of the reserve piles for your own then you forfeit the opportunity to draw a card and simply take the pile from the center. This ends your game play in that round. The person who took a reserve pile last starts the next round. (When I say pile, I mean cards that are laid out and you can clearly see each one, perhaps pile isn't the best word...) Anyway, the game ends after there are 15 cards left in the deck and then every one proceeds to finish out taking a reserve pile in the center. We usually play best of 3 games or to a pre-determined point value.

(Note: Things get tricky when other people are collecting the same colors as you or decide they can afford one minus point if it means you obtain more... it depends on how vindictive your opponents are.)

All and all, this is a happy game where you collect chameleons. Play the game in the airport while you are waiting for a plane and need a quick distraction or have a continuous tournament going for the rest of your lives, Coloretto is the game for any time frame and many ages. And that is How The Wife Sees It.