| Launch Date: 2021 | Gamers: 1-4 Gamers |
| Designer: Janice Turner, Stu Turner | Size: 15-Half-hour |
| Artist: Gianfranco Giordano | Age: 8+ |
| Writer: Wren Video games | Complexity: 1.5 / 5 |
Pilfering Pandas is on Kickstarter from 19 Could 2021.
Discover out extra right here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wrengames/pilfering-pandas
Issues had gone lacking – meals, to be exact. Somebody was taking bits of meals right here and there and stashing it away someplace, hiding it from the eyes of everybody, particularly the keepers. It shortly turned clear that it wasn’t any of the guests to the zoo, however one of many animals – or a gaggle of animals. The meerkats have been appearing suspiciously as nicely and have been clearly concerned. Nonetheless, as safety digicam footage was carefully monitored over the approaching days, it got here as a shock that the zoo had a gaggle of Pilfering Pandas by Wren Games.
Right here is the newest sport from Wren Video games, who’ve landed one hit after one other, first with the addictive two-player co-op sport Meeting, after which with the deeply thematic solo sport Sensor Ghosts. So the expectations are excessive for Pilfering Pandas and the strain is on.
The sport is off to an incredible begin, as a result of it may be performed solo, co-operatively in addition to competitively. That’s one thing that’s very onerous to realize, particularly so as a result of this time Wren Video games have gone for a set assortment sport. So, sure, right here is one other sport primarily based round enjoying playing cards, however set assortment looks like a comparatively huge departure for the designer and self-publisher – and Pilfering Pandas takes set assortment to a different stage.
However let me begin originally. Within the sport, you’re a gaggle of pandas who’re pilfering meals from different animals in addition to guests to the zoo and are giving it to the meerkats who convert it into provides, or instruments, that that you must escape. I used to be instantly reminded of the penguins from Madagascar, who have been all the time making an attempt to be “cute and cuddly”, in order that they wouldn’t draw any consideration to themselves as they have been executing their escape plan.
It appears, the pandas in Pilfering Pandas are taking the identical method. Nonetheless, I need to say, the theme within the sport is absolutely only a pores and skin, than one thing integral to gameplay. Saying that, the illustrations by Gianfranco Giordano are completely beautiful and completely pitched for the sport. They’re a bit bit stylized, which lends itself to a deck of playing cards, whereas nonetheless retaining the lovable and cuddly issue, making it onerous to deal with enjoying your playing cards, since you simply need to preserve trying on the pretty animals on the playing cards.
Nonetheless, on the finish of the day, in your flip you draw a number of playing cards, which is the place the “pilfering” is available in. If you happen to take multiple card, you’re beginning to appeal to the eye of the keepers, and relying on whether or not you play solo, co-operatively or competitively, you both get nearer to being found and dropping the sport or you may’t pilfer a number of playing cards once more for some time.
You select the playing cards in such a method as to offer you both a set of playing cards with the identical quantity or a sequence of numbers of the identical swimsuit. In case you have not less than three playing cards with the identical variety of three playing cards of the identical swimsuit in sequence, you may then play them both to a shared row or to your individual, relying on the mode you play in. That represents giving your pilfered meals to the meerkats who offer you provides in return.
Up to now, that’s simply commonplace set assortment, however Pilfering Pandas provides a twist. The very first set you play out to a row may be something, however if you happen to add extra units, your new set must both match the quantity or the swimsuit of the prevailing set – and you’ll add a brand new set both to the left or the best to the already performed playing cards. You too can prolong an present set, for which you’ll solely want one card.
I believe this twist makes the sport very fascinating and far trickier than different set assortment video games you might have beforehand performed – and it doesn’t finish there.
In aggressive mode, if you wish to finish the sport, you need to have precisely one card in your hand on the finish of your flip, and you’ll have to have performed not less than ten playing cards out in entrance of you. So enjoying a set of playing cards and ending with no playing cards in your hand isn’t sufficient. You all the time must have one card left over, as a result of on the finish of your flip you all the time must play one card right into a central supply row, from which different gamers can take one or a number of playing cards.
It’s trickier than you assume, as a result of as you play units, you don’t robotically refill your hand – and also you normally solely draw one card originally of your flip and also you additionally must play one card on the finish of your flip. So to get extra playing cards into your hand, you need to pilfer a number of playing cards from the supply row, however you then appeal to the eye of the zoo keepers, which suggests you may’t do it once more for just a few turns.
It turns into an actual puzzle, however whenever you pull it off, it feels superb. In actual fact, it’s what makes the aggressive play actually shine. Timing is vital. You don’t need to finish the sport too early, if you happen to’re not within the lead, however you additionally don’t need to find yourself with too few playing cards in your hand, otherwise you’ll discover it onerous to play extra units. It’s an actual balancing act.
The solo and co-operative mode flip issues round barely. There’s nonetheless a central supply row, from which you’ll draw a number of playing cards, however there at the moment are a number of meerkat rows that you would be able to play units to. Your goal is to succeed in a sure rating, earlier than you’ve gotten attracted an excessive amount of consideration from the zoo keepers, which begin to meet up with you everytime you take multiple card. You continue to must have a sure variety of playing cards within the meerkat rows, making timing actually vital once more.
You additionally want to modify up your pondering, as a result of now that you must play playing cards into the supply row to assist the opposite gamers make units, whereas in aggressive mode you actually don’t need to play any playing cards that your opponents would possibly want. So the solo and co-operative modes are actually totally different from aggressive.
But, for me, Pilfering Pandas actually shines in aggressive mode. Possibly I’m not a real co-operative participant at coronary heart, nevertheless it simply looks like the sport actually challenges you as you play towards different human gamers. Timing turns into much more vital and holding onto the best playing cards is commonly very important.
That’s not to say that the solo and co-operative modes don’t work. In actual fact, after I play Pilfering Pandas with my spouse, we all the time play co-operatively. It’s the mode that fits finest after we play collectively, and I believe for lots of people will probably be the identical.
It’s additionally going to be enticing to solo gamers. I can’t actually remark an excessive amount of on this mode, as a result of I hardly ever play solo video games, however after I tried it, it felt actually shut and also you do must work onerous to win the sport and assist your pandas escape the zoo. The keepers are all the time shut in your heels and it’ll take just a few makes an attempt earlier than you beat the sport, after which you may preserve enjoying and attempt to beat your rating.
So, if you would like a stunning set assortment sport, with great illustrations and plenty of replayability, then Pilfering Pandas is unquestionably for you.