Qwirkle Board Game
by MindWare
|
List Price: Our Price: $16.90 You Save: $18.09 (52%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $16.15 (click here) Category: Toy See more product details |
|---|
Toys and Games Reviews of Qwirkle Board Game
Customer Review: Accessible Strategy Game for All
Summary: 5 Stars
Simple game once you learn the rules and play for 5-10 minutes. Each tile has one of six shapes, in one of six colors, five tiles in their hand. Each turn players can place (or trade in) their tiles. If you place, you must place tiles so that you form a row of either: (1) same color tiles, with no shape repeating (meaning the maximum row size is six); (2) same shape tiles, with no color repeating. You get 1 point for the length of the row formed. For example, if you add two tiles to a row that was 3 tiles placed by another player, you would get 5 points. As long as you place tiles in a straight line and obey the above rules, you can form more than 1 row, and get points for all. For example, if you add a tile to the end of a row of 3, you get 4 points for that, and if you place a tile below the 4th tile in that row (the one you added) you get another 2 points for that new 2 you created. In other words, the scoring works like scrabble, in that as long as you place your tiles in a row, you can form more than one scoring line -- more than 1 "word" in scrabble terms. If you form a color row with all six shapes, or a shape row with all six colors, you get 12 points, not 6 - that is called a "quirkle."
Sounds complicated but its not. As long as an adult is keeping score, kids as young as 5 (maybe even 4) can pick this up. In my house, my kids being 6 & 9, we find it most fun to play 2 v 2, with everyone having their own hand, with team members seeing their teammates hand and jointly planning strategy. While this is mostly because the 6 year old would not be competetive on his own -- and he hasnt learned to like games he always loses -- team play actually does add to the level of strategy. My six year old can sometimes spot plays that I miss.
There is easily enough strategy that a strategic minded adult would almost always beat a non-strategically minded adult, and that adults will always beat kids in solo play, but team play with teams of adult + kid fixes this problem. While it may not be strategically deep enough for the very serious strategy gamer, its a total winner for everyone else.
Customer Review: Fun Strategic Game, But Best for Older Kids and Adults
Summary: 5 Stars
With its fun shapes and bright colors, I mistakenly assumed this game would be a good choice for my five year-old. Instead I realized it was a fabulous choice for my husband and I.
Players organize their individual tiles by similar color or shape, then lay them down in lines. The object of the game is to complete as many linear "Qwirkles" as possible: six tiles of the same color (but different shapes) or six tiles of the same shape (but different colors). A tile cannot be repeated in a Qwirkle, and this is the strategic complication which makes the game more challenging for the younger ones. They may see a line of yellow and want to add to it, but they cannot place a yellow circle on the line if there is already one there.
My daughter had a fine time in the beginning of the game, and we played with open hands so we could help her. But once the board became more complicated with multiple rows and lines, she got confused and lost interest. Perhaps with a few more rounds she would understand the game better, but at the moment, she prefers Pictureka instead.
My husband and I loved the strategy involved with a game that seemed so simple and we played well into the night. There are ways to block the completion of a Qwirkle as well as ways to set up your next Qwirkle, and while matching colors and shapes seems fitting for pre-schoolers, the strategic thinking requires a more sophisticated player. Once there are several rows and lines on the board, some several tiles deep, it becomes an overwhelming task for young children to make correct moves, let alone strategic ones.
The age range on this game says 6 and up, although parents will probably enjoy the game more than the youngest players. But it's definitely worth the purchase.
Customer Review: Great Game for all.
Summary: 5 Stars
I ordered this game because it just "sounded" like it might be fun. Often I will buy a game and it will not live up to expectations. But, not in this case! This game is fun and simple to learn. You create lines (six tiles in a row) that are all of the same color with different symbols, or all the same symbol of different colors! Simple enough, but when you begin to play, you start to realize that you can create more than one line by placing a tile in the correct place. Of course you get points for each tile placed and if you complete a line, you get an additional 6 points (called a Qwirkle) for each line completed. You begin to see that by playing a fifth tile in a line you may set up your opponent to play the sixth tile and score a Qwirkle. There are three of each tile in the game and I found myself scanning the board to see what was played so that I could make decisions on how to play my pieces. The tiles are placed just like scrabble horizontal and verticle.
I would recommend this game for anyone who plays dominoes, scrabble or any strategic tile game. Love it! The only addition I would make (this is by no means a complaint) would be to add a game version where the tiles are made of a more durable item, much like modern dominoes (ivory plastic type) or perhaps metal tiles. I would buy that version just for a "collector" value. I have several chess sets just because I love the boards and pieces, same thought here... NOW, GO GET THE GAME!
Customer Review: Awesome Game
Summary: 4 Stars
Bought this game for my 6 year old, and we are both having a blast playing it. Its very much like scrabble, but instead of words, you make sequences of colors or shapes. Personally, I find this more enjoyable than Scrabble - there generally is a move you can play at any stage (with Scrabble sometimes you may be completely stuck). Even though I am playing with a younger kid, the game puts us in an even field. This game is is equally fun and challenging for both (my daughter often beats me, so I have to be on my toes and be fully focussed).
Also this game can be played by younger kids - our 3 year olds also joins in sometimes. He doesn't fully need to worry about scoring high points, but he has fun making patterns of shapes/colors.
To summarize, here are the things we liked:
- Game for all ages (3yr - adults all have fun).
- Lot more fun for the adults (unlike other games like Chutes&Ladders)
- Finishes in a short amount of time (30-60 minutes)
- You never get stuck, which makes it less frustrating than other games like Scrabble
- Well designed, good quality pieces
Things that we didn't like:
- No stand to put the pieces (we have been using the stand from our Scrabble game). This is the only reason I gave it a 4 star rating instead of 5.
- Every piece is important, so cannot lose a piece.
Customer Review: Great game for all ages!
Summary: 5 Stars
What a fun game! Our family (ages 40, 39, 11, 10, and 8) has enjoyed playing this game together. Our 8 year old sometimes needs a little help understanding the rules, but with practice she is really picking up on strategies for maximizing her score. A younger child could also play it as a matching game, even if they might not understand the nuances involved in scoring points.
The pieces themselves seem sturdy. However, after playing it only 5 times, we can see the paint is already wearing off in spots which is very disappointing. I intend to contact the maker, Mindware, if it continues to worsen. However, we have not had problems with the wood chipping or other complaints mentioned. It comes with a very nice drawstring bag for the pieces.
One minor complaint - the pieces are very slippery and tend to get bumped out of place very easily, leading to confusion about displaced pieces. A Scrabble-type board could alleviate this frustration, or maybe making the game pieces out of material that is less prone to sliding around. Another thought is to play the game on a sheet of fabric with rubber backing, rubber side up (this can be bought at crafts and fabric stores), or on a piece of non-slip rug pad. It can be folded up after the game and placed in the bag along with the pieces.
Overall, a fun game for all!