Matthew BaileyToday we are going to start our “Christmas Countdown” where I am going to recommend games to pick up for Christmas. This will not be every day and unlike a normal marathon will not necessarily be games that I haven’t covered before but some recommendations I think you should consider for Christmas gifts for the family.
“Gingerbread Towers” is a delightful family card stacking game by Jessica Metheringham who many of you might know in the community. I’m pleased to report that it offers genuinely enjoyable gameplay as it heads to Kickstarter today (13th November) for a relatively short campaign. Jessica kindly provided a prototype version a month ago for us to review before the Kickstarter launch.
Unlike most Kickstarters, the game’s delivery is expected any day now, with the goal of having it in backers’ hands before Christmas. Additionally, the game will be available at the Reading Christmas market later this month.
There’s also a Christmas-themed card game called “Snowball Slide” available as part of the Kickstarter, but I haven’t had the opportunity to play it, so I cannot comment on it.
As far as I’m aware, and Jessica, please correct me if I’m wrong, the game is not planned for retail, making this Kickstarter campaign the primary opportunity to acquire it.
Although the game was provided to us as a prototype for free for the purpose of review, all our thoughts and opinions are our own. I made it clear from the start that I wouldn’t recommend a game we didn’t enjoy.
The game consists of three types of cards, each featuring one, two, or three sweets. At the beginning of the game, players draw random one, two, and three-sweet cards to form their starting hand. Players then take turns drawing scoring cards, which indicate which sweets will earn them points. Each player takes two of these cards.
The goal is to lay cards with your scoring sweets, earning a point for each placement, aiming to reach 7 points on either of your sweets. Points are not shared between sweets.
The game unfolds somewhat like Rhino Hero (which many of you may be familiar with) but with a few key differences. You’re allowed to have four vertical pieces in a row before starting a new layer. The vertical pieces are more likely to score, and since it’s possible to have two of your sweets on one card, you can force your opponent to play a horizontal piece or get creative by laying a vertical piece on top of four already vertical pieces.
Whenever you use a card, you must pick up another one, adding to the decision-making process as the game progresses.
If you knock down a layer, you get to rebuild it but lose the points associated with it. However, if the entire castle falls, the game ends, and the player with the most points at that point wins. This mechanic adds an interesting strategic element. If you’re in the lead, you can make it challenging for the next player, but if you’re in the middle of the group, you might want the next player to continue the tower.
We all thoroughly enjoyed the game, more than I initially anticipated when I first read the rules, which fit on a few sides of playing cards in the box. The rules are straightforward, making it suitable for Christmas gatherings with elderly relatives. Yet, if you choose to engage with the game strategically, there’s a surprising amount of depth and decision-making involved.
While I played with a prototype copy and can’t comment on the overall package, the quality of the cards was good. Some changes have been made since the prototype, based in part on my feedback, so the retail version is likely to be even better. For a fun Christmas-themed dexterity card game with unexpected depth, this is a strong recommendation from me.
Games are quick and a lot of fun, and I genuinely recommend picking up a copy.
