Matthew BaileyFor those who have been a part of this group for a while, it’s probably no surprise to hear that while we engage with a variety of different games, we don’t tend to play the same game repeatedly. Nevertheless, there are a few games that when the kids are asked, “What would you like to play today?” they consistently return to.
Today serves as a prime example of this phenomenon. It was Toby’s(5) turn to choose, and without hesitation, he selected today’s game, which, if you had asked me yesterday, I would have wagered a substantial amount that I had previously reviewed. However, it appears I haven’t, so here we go.
Game 42 of the “Bailey Family Summer 2023 Board Game Bonanza” is “Smugglers,” played by Jack (.8.), Toby (5), and myself.
“Smugglers” is a really unique size estimation game, complemented by an element of social deduction. The premise revolves around players adopting the roles of smugglers, endeavouring to covertly transport contraband through checkpoints and past vigilant inspectors.
At the outset of the game, each player commences with a red gem, a yellow gem, and a purple gem. Additionally, you receive either a red sweet token or a yellow sour token of your preference.
The objective of the game is to be the first player to amass either five red or yellow tokens, or four red and four yellow tokens.
During your turn, you roll the dice and then manipulate the selector on the smuggling track (we’re certainly creating some terminology here today) to denote the size of the hole through which your ball must pass. Subsequently, without testing or coming into close proximity, you are tasked with crafting a ball of silly putty, concealing a chosen gem within it.
Following this, all players release their balls down the track towards the fence to ascertain whether their balls successfully traverse the designated hole. This phase engages size estimation and dexterity. Moreover, it necessitates the skill of rolling the silly putty into a perfect sphere, as any minor irregularities could lead to a ball becoming lodged.
Those balls that do not successfully traverse the hole are placed in the “Cellar,” while those that do are weighed employing a remarkably clever set of cardboard scales. The victor of the round is the individual whose ball was the largest yet still managed to fit through the fence.
The subsequent part of the round involves the individual who secured the top position predicting the colour of the gem concealed within the ball of one of the players who did not successfully make it through (or landed third in terms of weight or below).
Subsequently, you inspect their ball, and if your guess regarding the colour of their gem is correct, you’re entitled to steal one of their yellow or red tokens. Similarly, anyone who successfully traversed the fence gets a token of the gem’s colour that they smuggled. I adore this mechanism, as while being first and pushing your ball to the absolute size limit reaps rewards, tokens can still be obtained by achieving second place. Interestingly, Toby triumphed in the game we played primarily by pursuing a more cautious strategy and allowing Jack and me to compete by attempting to outdo each other, often without successful results.
An additional element is the purple gem, which signifies a stink bomb. Should you be caught, and the inspector identifies a red or yellow gem while a purple gem is present, you’re granted the opportunity to pilfer a token from the inspector. This introduces a fascinating social and strategic aspect, wherein on certain occasions, a player might intentionally not traverse the fence to attempt to deceive the inspector. Should the inspector correctly identify the stink bomb, they obtain it, subsequently adding another stink bomb to their reserve, which can only be used once.
The production quality of the game is exceptionally high. The vacuum-formed high-impact polystyrene mould is of satisfactory quality, and all the cardboard components boast excellent workmanship. The cardboard scales function exceedingly well, and most importantly, despite possessing the game for several years and playing it regularly, the silly putty remains in impeccable condition, just as it was when initially acquired. Furthermore, the game features fairly standard components, meaning that they can be easily replaced with items found at The Works or a toy store.
I really like “Smugglers,” as does Toby, especially. It stands as one of our consistently played games in the household. The only reason I hadn’t reviewed it sooner is because I believed I had already done so. Only upon deciding to include it “again” and searching for the old review did I realise I hadn’t.
The concepts within the game are sufficiently simple for players of all ages to enjoy. The combination of size estimation, dexterity challenges, and the social deduction element creates a captivating and unique gameplay experience. All I would say is with very young children rolling everything into a ball can be tricky. I used to let Toby choose the putty amount and then I helped roll it into a ball.
Overall, “Smugglers” is a well-designed package. I was incredibly fortunate to acquire this game from The Works (the discount bookshop) a few years ago for a mere five pounds, based on the fact that it was a Kosmos game, which implied a certain level of quality, even though I hadn’t previously encountered it.
Its a bit on the OOP side but it is still obtainable online and there are a fair few second hand on ebay.
Insanely it was at one point being sold at The Works for £1.50 on clearance!
While tomorrow’s review might contain less than glowing remarks, today’s review of “Smugglers” celebrates its uniqueness, brilliance, and engaging qualities. If any aspect I’ve discussed strikes a chord, I wholeheartedly recommend adding it to your collection.
