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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: It’s a paleo draft-off as you go for the best dinos in Cubosaurs
Next: We tinker with peoples slumber one robot shift at a time in Mech A Dream
And lastly: We race, place, roll and write in Spexxx
Cubosaurs
Designed by: Fabien Tanguy
Published by: Catch Up Games (2022)
Players: 2 – 5
Ages: 8 & up
Playing time: 20 minutes
Cobosaurs is a card game in which you attempt to fill your park with various combinations of different types of dinosaurs. Each type of dinosaur you draft has its own scoring rules, earning or costing points depending on the number of these specific cards you gathered at the end of the round. For example, a T-Rex is worth 4 if you only have one of them, but it’s worth just 1 if you have two of them, and -2 if you have three of them. So try to wind up with only one T-Rex in your park to maximize your score!
There is a community hand of cards which you must decide on your turn to take the hand, or pass the hand. If you pass the hand, you have to place one qualifying card from your park to the hand.
Play until the deck runs out, add up your points, and the player with the highest total wins and becomes the ultimate big game master.
Mech A Dream
Designed by: Thomas Dupont, Antoni Guillen
Published by: Blue Orange Games (2023)
Players: 2 – 4
Ages: 10 & up
Playing time: 45 minutes
Mech A Dream is a worker placement game where you run a futuristic factory, directing your robot assistants to produce electric sheep.
Each day is divided into three shifts: Day, Afternoon, and Evening
There are two areas of the shop where you assign your workers: factory or workshop
Factory = stock room, delivery dock – depending on the time of day will direct you to the correct factory area. Collect your resources in these areas by paying with electric flowers
Workshop = choose one of the machine tiles available – the cost is magic ink or rainbows. Tiles are placed on a conveyor belt, which will eventually come off the belt and become constructed. Constructed tiles give you victory points and other benefits for the rest of the game.
Nighttime: recycle your assistants, and activate your robot’s effects.
Play until 7 days are completed, or until a player builds their 9th machine. Score your points, and declare victory, and dream the electric dream!
Spexxx
Designed by: Ruben Dijkstra, Ruurd Lammers
Published by: Waterfall Games (2013)
Players: 2 – 4
Ages: 8 & up
Playing time: 30 – 60 minutes
Spexxx is a dice rolling game, with some of the same features as Yahtzee, but with an added dimension of scoring on a collective grid.
A player rolls the 5 dice, and can reroll any of the dice they want up to 3 additional times. Place your cube on the board in the square that represents the rolled dice combination. When players place three or more of their own cubes in a row, they score points. They can take a risk by aiming for difficult combinations and score more points accordingly. By cleverly placing your blocks you create more and more scoring options. Or, play it safe for fewer points, or go full Mikey and press your luck!
The game ends when all players’ last cubes are placed on the board. Now that we know the Specs of the game, let’s review this thing!