Matthew Bailey“Robot Quest Arena” was one of Jack’s favourite games we played at the UK Games Expo, and we’ve had it out several times over the summer. Back when I tried it at the Expo, I somehow decided it was going to be one of the first games to kick off our summer marathon. Given that I’d already done a pretty solid overview just a few weeks before, that might’ve been a bit overenthusiastic! But there was no way I wasn’t going to include “Robot Quest Arena” in the marathon. So, for our absolutely, definitely final game this summer, as we close on a record-smashing 66 games (beating last year’s 56), game number 66 is…
Game 66# and the final game of the “Now & Then Summer Marathon 2024” is “Robot Quest Arena” played with Jack(9) and Toby(6)
“Robot Quest Arena” is a deck-building, arena-battling game where you pilot ridiculously cute robots and fight it out in an arena that gives off serious “Robot Wars” vibes, but with a more family-friendly, colourful twist.
You start in the corners, drawing five cards, and use them to attack other players, push them around, or—most importantly—spend energy to buy new cards from the shop and improve your deck. Points are earned by controlling the centre at the start of your turn, destroying other robots, and through various card abilities. A really nice touch is that when your robot is destroyed, you don’t get knocked out. Instead, your bot respawns, meaning no one has to sit out, which is great for keeping everyone involved.
There are also traps and special tiles scattered around the arena, each with their own unique effects. If you’re into expanding the game, there are plenty of expansion packs that add even more variety.
The game continues until a set number of robot “deaths” are reached, and then it’s time to tally up the points.
As for the production quality, it’s top-notch. The pre-painted vinyl robots are fantastic—super high-quality. The board itself is big, has great table presence, and everything is wonderfully chunky and satisfying. There’s a bit of reading involved, but it’s all simple enough to explain as you go along, and since nothing’s hidden from other players, everyone’s on the same page.
We also picked up all the expansions, and they’re equally as cool. Each one adds new robots to the mix, and they all seem really well-balanced. None of them felt too hard, but some are definitely better suited to younger players, which makes it a perfect family game. describe this game is as a family-friendly version of “Robot Wars,” with vibrant colours and excellent presentation. For arena-based battling games, this is probably one of the most accessible and family-friendly out there. And, as usual, Wise Wizard Games has delivered with their trademark high quality—I haven’t played a bad game from them yet.
If they continue to release more content for this, or even give us a sequel, I’d be all in! It’s family-friendly enough already, but I reckon a junior version as part of their new Wacky Wizard Games line could be a hit.
All in all, a fantastic way to end my biggest summer marathon yet. Roll on 2025! Now, time to start prepping for this year’s Halloween mini-marathon…
Disclaimer: The Base game of “Robot Quest Arena” was provided by Wise Wizard Gamers for the purpose of review. We have since bought all of the expansions ourselves. Our thoughts and opinions are our own.
