Review: Blockers – The Stacking Game
Blockers: The Stacking Game is one of those games that you can pick up and play, and within minutes everyone knows exactly what to do and is having a great time with it.
Designed for 2-6 players aged 8+, the basic concept is simple: turn over a structure card and build the required shaped structure from the pile of coloured wooden blocks which are included in the game box, then knock it down and draw another card with a different shape on it to build. Continue doing this until 90 seconds (or a time agreed upon by you all) has passed by and then add up who has scored the most points.
However, there is far more to it than just that.
The structure cards from which you are given your designs to copy, can be flipped around to make either an easier or more difficult structure, where of course the more difficult ones are worth more points if you manage to complete them. Do you go for a few quick and easy points, or risk scoring more and possibly fail or use too much time?
Along with the structure cards is a playing card deck, and these can be used in various ways to affect the building and/or points for what is being built. It is with using these against your opponents that tactical changes can make a big difference to who is going to be the eventual winner.
The great thing about Blockers: The Stacking Game isn’t just the simplicity with which it can be quickly learned by everyone playing, it is also its scope for adding your own rules too.
Some of the rule changes we implemented were:
- If you’re right handed, then you have to use only your left hand to build.
- Keep one eye closed to screw up your depth of field
- Down an alcoholic shot every time you win a game (that soon makes it more difficult for them!)
- Take 10 seconds off the timer for the person that won the previous game
- Add 10 seconds to the timer for the person that came last in the previous game
The above is just a small example of the way that you can customise the already hugely enjoyable base game to suit the playing styles and mood of whoever is joining you in your gaming session.
The brightly coloured wooden blocks are easily distinguishable and are just the right size that makes them neither too easy or too hard to stack them on top of each other. Many times you will be debating whether to trash your current half-built potentially high scoring structure for fear of it falling down, or to persevere knowing that one wrong hand movement could send it all crashing down losing you valuable time on the clock.
All playing cards are clear and easy to read, while also being stored in a plastic container in the game box which keeps them in good condition…though of course the serious gamers will be sleeving them too!
Another plus is that setting up the game, and also putting it all away, takes less than a minute. So no time wasting setting up various playing surfaces and a multitude of tiny plastic pieces . Everything is ready and in front of everyone before the 1st round of drinks can be served.
For a simple to learn, yet hugely customisable game that is above all else FUN, then I highly recommend you get over to the Kickstarter page now and make sure that you get yours ASAP.
Let us know what rule sets you make up too!
Review by Dave from a preview version kindly supplied by CrabStudios.