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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 find out if the dry erase pen is mightier than the sword in: Dungeon Scrawlers
Next: We put the petals to the meadow in: Flutter
And lastly: We make the numbers sing before we hear the DING in: Engaging 24 Game
Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Scrawlers – Heroes of Waterdeep
Designed by: Vangelis Bagiartakis, Konstantinos Karagiannis
Published by: WizKids (2023)
Players: 2 – 4
Ages: 10 & up
Playing time: 15 minutes
In Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Scrawlers – Heroes of Waterdeep, is a race game set inside a maze, where opponents must fight monsters and gather treasure and complete encounters inside rooms throughout the dungeon. Players pick one of five available classes, each with their own special ability!
Players will each use the same dry-erase dungeon map. Starting with their marker on the “start” space, when the game begins they speed through the maze using a single, unbroken line. Along the way, they have to face challenges that earn them points: fill in a monster to defeat them, circle a treasure to take it, trace a spell to cast it, and more! The game ends when time runs out or someone defeats the final boss, and whoever has the most points wins.
So scrawl, while you crawl, but do not fall, and keep your eye on the ball.
Flutter
Designed by: Matt Bahntge
Published by: Phase Shift Games (2024)
Players: 2 – 5
Ages: 8 & up
Playing time: 45 minutes
Flutter is a tile placement game where players are trying to collect the most pollen by laying tiles with matching flower petal colors.
On a player’s turn, they will choose one tile from one of five stacks. One of the stacks will be free to choose, but other stacks will have cost to them. You can buy one of those tiles by paying pedal points of the appropriate color that matches the butterfly on the tile.
With each turn, a player will place a uniquely shaped tile, aiming to match the correct petals colors at the corners of each tile, and thereby growing flowers. Growing flowers earns players pedals of the same color of the flower they grew.
Players will spend their petal tokens when they enclose a previously laid tile, supplying the tile’s pollinator with all the flowers it needs, earning pollen. Pollen points are the VP’s. And if you manage to enclose a tile with your bee token on it … bonus points!
When one of the five stacks of tiles is emptied, the game comes to an end. The player with the most pollen at the end of the game will be crowned the winner and earn the admiration of all the pollinators in the meadow!
Engaging 24 Game
Designed by: (uncredited)
Published by: Lingle
Players: any number
Ages: 6 & up
Playing time: (not listed)
Engaging 24 Game is a math game. 4 d12’s are rolled, and players must then find a combination among the dice that equals 24.
For example, if the numbers 1, 4, 9, and 12 are rolled on the 4 dice, you could come up with this solution: 4×9 is 36, x1 is still 36, then subtract 12 from 36, and you end up with 24. Once you have it figured out, ring the bell in the center of the table, present your answer, and win the round.
Play as many rounds as you like. Before long, you’ll be seeing combinations that arrive at 24 everywhere you look.