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Welcome to Which Game First where we boldly explore the hilariously huge world of board games. Did we unearth any hidden treasures you’ve been missing out on? Let’s find out!
First: We split our personalities, and face them off in … Jekyll vs Hyde
Next: We go full Mad Max in a post apocalyptic game of destruction in … Radlands
And lastly: We strap on our safety helmets for a demolition derby in … Collision!
Jekyll vs. Hyde
Designed by: Geonil
Published by: Mandoo Games (2021)
Players: 2
Ages: 8 & up
Playing time: 30 min
Jekyll vs. Hyde is a trick-taking game for 2 players, based on the famous novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. As Dr. Jekyll, you’ll need to resist Mr. Hyde’s fierce attacks to protect your mind and keep the secret of your dual nature. As Mr. Hyde, your goal is to dominate Dr. Jekyll to overcome his identity.
The game is played in three rounds and 10 cards are dealt to each player. Dr.’s goal is 5 tricks each. Hyde’s goal is win all 10 or lose all 10. The differential is Hyde’s score; 6 tricks to 4 tricks is 2 points for Hyde, but 9 tricks to 1 trick would be 8 points for Hyde!
The result is scored on the Identity Track. The game marker moves that many spaces towards the Hyde end of the track.
Standard rules of trick taking apply. There are 3 suits, and 7 cards per suit. But the trump cards of this game are the 4 potion cards, which also can unleash special effects, such as card swapping in the middle of a round, or a reorganization of the strength of suits.
If the marker reaches the last space of the track (far left), then Mr. Hyde instantly wins the game.
If after 3 rounds, the marker did not reach the end of the track after three rounds, then Dr. Jekyll wins.
Radlands
Designed by: Daniel Piechnick
Published by: Roxley (2021)
Players: 2
Ages: 14 & up
Playing time: 20 – 40 min
Radlands is a competitive, dueling card game about identifying fiercely powerful card synergies.
Each player is the leader of a post-apocalyptic group of survivors in a fight to protect your three camps from a vicious rival tribe.
The main resource in the game is water. You start with a base of 3 water per turn, which you need to use wisely to activate people, unleash events, and to use the abilities of cards you already have on the table. People protect your camps and provide useful abilities, while events are powerful effects that take time to pay off.
Effects include: damage people or camps, injure people, destroy cards outright, restore for healing, raid the opponents camp, punk any person in your hand, draw more cards, and the all important water
Both players draw cards from the same deck. All cards can either be played to the table or discarded for quick “junk” effects.
First player to lose all three of their camps, loses the game, and winds up in the ash heap of Radland’s history.
Collision!
Designed by: (uncredited)
Published by: Whitman (1969)
Players: 2 or 4
Ages: 8 & up
Playing time: (unlisted)
In Collision, you are a demolition derby team of cars, racing cars around a crazy track, and trying to bump your opponent’s cars out of the game.
A player chooses one of their 5 cars to move, THEN they roll 2d6 and move that many spaces as the track allows. Arrow on the tracks indicates the directions a car is allowed to go (no reverse).
If a player passes their opponent’s car on the track, the dice are rolled again, and if a double is rolled, the opponent’s car is bumped off the game board. If you land exactly on an opponent’s square head on, each player rolls dice, and the opponent gets bumped if they lose the roll off. Land on a square from behind, then the player who landed there gets bumped and eliminates their own car. Oh and don’t land on your own car, you bump yourself in that instance.
Last car standing wins!