Matthew BaileySubway Squeeze is a game that has reached the giddy heights of being considered a group fave and has been regularly recommended for a few years now. But I haven’t seen it mentioned for a while, so I decided to redo the review and, more importantly…
Subway Squeeze is a tetromino game, and if you like Isle of Cats or Alice’s Garden, then there’s a lot to enjoy here. It’s actually got some clever ideas that make it worth picking up even if you already own a few other tetromino games.
I’ll admit, when I first bought this a few years ago I had a few worries that it was going to be a bargain bucket stinker… Luckily, I was wrong. It’s really good.
Each player takes a subway train board that they need to fill up with passengers. The subway board is split into the same number of columns as there are players, and each column is filled with nine pieces. So, before you even start, it’s worth noting that every single piece you’ll be using is already out on the table.
Each turn, players take it in turns to be the “conductor”. The conductor chooses one piece from each column to be available for that round. Then, the next player chooses first from those selected pieces, with the conductor choosing last.
This is such a great mechanic because it adds loads of great decision-making. As the conductor, do I pick three pieces that work for me? Or do I take the one I really want, throw in two random ones, and hope no one else grabs it first? Do I try and hide which one I’m actually after? And as the other players, you’re trying to work out why they’ve chosen those particular pieces. It’s such a simple idea, but it makes the game engaging before you’ve even laid your first tile.
As you place tiles on your subway, you’re aiming to score points at the end for the following:
- Families (turquoise) – score more points the more that are touching, up to a maximum of six tiles.
- Dogs (also turquoise) – count as part of a family but also score an extra two points if placed next to a family member (not another dog or luggage).
- Tourists (orange) – four points if three or more are touching.
- Commuters (grey) – always worth one point, or two if the group they’re in is next to a door.
- Buskers (blue) – one point per passenger they are next to (not dogs, conductors or luggage).
- Pregnant women (pink) – worth three points if on a seat.
- Conductors (dark blue) – not worth points but allow you to take a single-tile passenger of your choice when placed.
- There are also two-piece luggage tiles which you take if you ever choose a piece you can’t fit on your train.
The game continues for nine rounds until all pieces have been taken. There is a train marker that moves each round, but it’s not really needed – you just keep going until everything’s gone.
At the end, you total up your score, but lose points for each uncovered space (which vary from one to three points depending on the space).
There’s even an advanced version with a second board on the back called the “Nightside”. This adds broken seats (which don’t score for pregnant women), broken doors (which don’t count for commuters), spillages (which don’t count as gaps but cost you four points if you fill them), and luggage racks (which give +2 if filled with luggage, and –2 if filled with a person). This adds a nice exra but I do prefer the regular board.
Production values are great. The cardboard is thick, the boards are nice, the wooden tokens for the conductor and train are decent, and there’s a neat internal box that holds everything well.
The boys adored this game – and so did I. It was a total blind buy that I only picked up because it was super cheap, and now it’s even cheaper. But it’s brilliant.
There are multiple layers of thought in both selecting pieces and placing them. The decisions are meaningful, the gameplay is clever, and the whole package is well made.
I need a few more plays, but honestly, this could overtake Isle of Cats as my favourite tetromino game.
Absolute sleeper hit. I have no idea why it’s being sold off for next to nothing… Can’t recommend it enough.
