Matthew BaileyOver a year ago, during the 2023 summer marathon, I reviewed a game called “ゆらゆらペンギン (Yura Yura Penguin)”, a really fun Japanese card-shredding dexterity game that I regularly recommend but it was a real pain to get hold of and often went out of stock.
Luckily, that’s about to change, as Alley Cat Games have decided to release a mini version in Western markets as “High Rise Penguins”. So, how does this compare to the larger version, and is it worth picking up?
Played with Jack(9) and Toby(6).
You start by creating a sea from all of the cards, placing an iceberg with the starting card, and then each player takes 8 cards from the sea (the number of cards changes depending on the number of players).
The game plays similarly to “Uno”, where you have to either place a card with a matching symbol or a matching colour. There are 4 types of cards:
- Iceberg: If you play an iceberg, you add another layer to the tower.
- Gem (1 or 2): You must place the gem(s) first and then play a card, which is a good way to make the tower less stable.
- Penguin: You place a penguin on the second tier from the top.
- Aurora: These cards can be placed on any colour and perform “Uno”-like actions, such as forcing the next player to draw cards, reversing the turn order, or skipping the next player.
If you can’t play a card, you pick up a new one. Play continues until either a player has played all their cards or someone knocks over the iceberg. There’s an interesting rule: if all the sea cards are gone, everyone cooperatively wins (though it’s unlikely, it’s a fun twist and hints at a hidden cooperative mode, which we actually enjoyed playing just as much as the competitive one, even though it’s not explicitly stated in the rulebook).
A lot of thought has gone into this, making it a really interesting package. While you can do things to make the tower wobblier, it’s not too difficult to keep adding layers. The cards are made of a shiny plastic material, so when you place one on top, air sometimes gets underneath, causing them to glide like ice. I don’t know if this was intentional, but let’s assume it was—in which case, it adds a really cool mechanic to the dexterity aspect.
One thing to note is that this version is actually a lot harder than the full-sized version I reviewed last year. Back then, I said it wasn’t too hard, and you could quite happily build a massive tower. While that’s still true, it’s a lot trickier this time, mainly due to the size of the components. We played the original quite a lot and got pretty good at it, to the point where we could comfortably build a tower. That’s how the cooperative version we mentioned earlier got started. However, the increased difficulty here is a positive thing, as the original could be a bit too easy, with the dexterity elements often taking a backseat to the “Uno” style gameplay. In this mini version, both elements are equally important. In all the sample games we played, we’d be running out of cards just as the tower became increasingly unstable, making it likely the game would end soon.
This added an exciting comeback potential, where someone with only one or two cards left could still knock the tower over. In one game, Toby managed to topple the tower while placing his very last card, much to his disappointment!
All of the pieces are lovely, the penguin meeples are super cute, and the cards are of really high quality. The only thing noticeably missing from this version, compared to the larger one, is that the starting tile isn’t made of a different, thicker material. The original gave a more secure starting point to proceedings. It’s not a big deal, but it’s important to lay that first iceberg securely, or the tower won’t last long. On the plus side, it comes in a cute, small box, making it perfect for travel and fitting in well with Alley Cat’s smaller dexterity lineup.
I’m thrilled to finally have a version of “High Rise Penguins” available in the West, and I’m really pleased with Alley Cat’s new initiative to localise these Japanese games.
I absolutely love “High Rise Penguins”, just as I did the original, but I’ll be making twinkly eyes at the Alley Cat Games team to consider releasing an XL version too!
“High Rise Penguins” is due for release in December/January and will be available to preorder on Alley Cat’s Website soon and If you’re lucky enough to be going to Essen Spiel, you can pick up a copy there.
Disclaimer: “High Rise Penguins” was kindly provided by “Alley Cat Games” for the purpose of review. Caezar Al-Jassar and Crystal Tsui from Alley Cat Games are both active members of our community. Our thoughts and opinions are, however, our own.
