Matthew BaileyGame 5 of our “Halloween Half-term Spooktacular” is…
“Patchwork: Halloween Edition,” played by two players, including myself, Jack (.8.), and Toby (5).
Before writing this review, I was quite confident that I had reviewed the regular version of Patchwork a few years ago. In reality, it was back in July 2021 when I posted a four-line comment about Jack consistently beating me at the game.
So, finally, I have the chance to review the Halloween version of one of my all-time favourite games. Virtually everything I’m about to say applies to the regular version as well. Lookout Games has produced numerous versions of Patchwork, including special editions for Valentine’s Day, Christmas and various versions tailored to different countries and cultures. Essentially, they all offer the same gameplay, with different artwork. The exception to this is “Patchwork Express”, which was recently re-themed as “Stack n’ Stuff” – a faster but not necessarily simpler version of Patchwork, which I wouldn’t necessarily recommend.
In “Patchwork: Halloween Edition,” you begin the game with an empty quilt and, throughout the game, you draw quilt pieces to fill it. You purchase these pieces with eyeballs (buttons in the regular game) and spend time, which determines how many spaces you move along the track. These pieces come with eyeballs, and each time you pass an eyeball marker on the track, you gain the corresponding number of eyeballs from the bank, which can then be used to buy more pieces.
At the start of the game, all the pieces are spread in a large circle around the board. Each player has a marker, which in this version is a gravestone, and it moves around the pieces as you select them. You can only draw from the three pieces in front of you.
The player whose turn it is will always be the one furthest back on the game track, so it’s possible to engineer a situation where you take two turns in a row if you’re a few spaces behind.
The general strategy involves aiming for pieces with lots of eyeballs at the beginning of the game and, as the game progresses, going for pieces that fill up space. Any empty squares on your quilt will cost you minus two points, which are deducted from your total eyeballs.
I hope my explanation clarifies the game mechanics. Trust me, once you get the hang of it, it’s fairly easy to understand, even for a fairly young child. It’s one of Jack’s favourite games, and we play it regularly.
A few points to note about this special Halloween edition: It includes all the balanced values from Patchwork Online, which have also been incorporated into the fifth edition of the original Patchwork. However, be aware that older versions might not have these up-to-date values.
My only real gripe with this version is that there isn’t a defined edge on the player boards for placing the quilt pieces. Initially, laying out the pieces can feel a bit awkward, and I would have preferred a solid, clearly defined border on the player boards for aesthetics.
While I adore Patchwork in general, I must admit that this Halloween edition ranks lower in terms of visual appeal compared to the other versions I own. I prefer the original or the Christmas Edition, and I also have a soft spot for the Korean Edition, which I’ve been trying to acquire.
If you’re in search of a two-player game that focuses on drafting and tile-laying, I wholeheartedly recommend Patchwork. However, I’d probably recommend the original version over the Halloween edition, as they play very similarly. Your choice should mainly be based on the aesthetic you prefer.
