Matthew BaileyWe’re kicking off Summer Games Fest 2025 with something relatively simple, but super cool nonetheless.
“Cubed: Next Level Dominoes” is a stylish and streamlined twist on the classic dominoes formula. At the start of the game, all the chunky, colourful tiles are evenly shared between players. From there, it’s a race to be the first to get rid of all your tiles by placing them legally onto an ever-expanding grid in the centre of the table.
The core rule is this: each side of a domino-style tile must match the side it touches — highs to highs, colours to colours. But it’s not just a case of black and white. There are multiple colour combinations to work with: some tiles are made of three different colours, some just two, and some have repeating colours. Then there are the black tiles, which act as blockers. You can’t place anything next to them, not even another black tile. They really change the flow of the game, and smart use of them can mess with your opponent’s plans quite effectively.
It’s a relaxing, thinky little game that doesn’t take long to explain and is surprisingly satisfying to play. The real star of the show, though, is the production. The chunky, vibrant components look brilliant on the table, and as the grid grows, the whole thing ends up looking like a modern art piece.
While I don’t think this is the kind of game we’ll be pulling out every week, especially with so many other, deeper games in this genre. I do however think it’s perfect for casual players and makes a great gift. It’s simple, attractive, and easy to teach, which makes it a great gateway game. In fact, I’m going to go out on a limb and say this would make a brilliant gift for grandparents, either to play with the grandkids or just with each other over a cup of tea (or wine if my parents are anything to go by).
