Matthew BaileyAs we hit game number 56 I have matched last year’s record and I still have a handful of games left to talk about before the end of Summer!
Having reviewed the disappointing “The Quacks of Quedlinburg: The Duel” yesterday, I now realise that I probably should have re-reviewed the original game first. Therefore…
Game 56 of the “Now and Then Summer Marathon” is “The Quacks of Quedlinburg:” and another “then” game having first reviewed this game over 3 years ago.
“The Quacks of Quedlinburg” is probably my favourite middleweight game. It’s a fantastic gateway to more complex games and, in my opinion, the best push-your-luck game out there.
In “Quacks of Quedlinburg,” players take on the roles of charlatans or “quack doctors” brewing potions in a push-your-luck game. The game is played over nine rounds, and each player has their own pot filled with ingredients, represented by chips in a bag.
The core gameplay revolves around drawing ingredient chips from your bag to brew the best potion without causing it to explode. Each ingredient chip has a unique ability that can influence your strategy. A key mechanic is that as the game progresses and you gain new ingredients, you start to forget exactly what’s in your bag, as you’re never allowed to look into it after the initial setup.
The game is played over nine rounds. Each round, players simultaneously (which is an awesome mechanic—it means there’s never any downtime as everyone’s playing at the same time, although it does mean you have to trust that younger kids aren’t cheating, as this game is so easy to cheat at if people aren’t honest) draw chips from their personal bags and place them in their pots. The chips have different values, which determine how far you advance in your pot. The goal is to advance as far as possible without causing your pot to explode by drawing too many white “cherry bomb” chips (which clearly should be red but whatever).
There are multiple different coloured chips, and another thing that makes the game so appealing is that there are multiple different properties and abilities that each chip can have. At the beginning of the game, you choose what you want each chip to represent, or there are predetermined sets that function well together. I really like the initial set and think it represents the purest “Quacks of Quedlinburg,” but I have played with other sets over the years, and the game works well regardless of what sets you choose.
The key chips in your bag are the white cherry bombs (which clearly should be red, but whatever, I’ve finally gotten over it). These are the dangerous ones. If the total value of white chips in your pot exceeds 7, your potion explodes, and you’ll face penalties. Managing how many white chips are in your bag, and the likelihood that you will draw one, is crucial and the key mechanic of the game. There are too many different mechanics and abilities to list, but some allow you to remove white chips, others grant you extra bonus points, and some even let you take chips out of the bag, decide which one you want, and return the others.
After everyone has finished drawing chips, points and coins are calculated. Players earn points based on how far they advanced their potion and receive coins to buy new chips, which are then added to their bags for future rounds. If your pot explodes, you must choose between gaining points or coins, but not both.
After nine rounds, players tally up their victory points. Points come from the rounds, leftover coins, and any bonuses from rubies and special abilities. The player with the most points is declared the best “quack doctor” in Quedlinburg!
The component quality is good, if not amazing. All of the boards and components are made of really nice cardboard, and the plastic gems are a nice touch. I’ve never actually splashed out and bought the expensive resin chip upgrades you often see on the internet, but I have considered it many times over, and one day I will treat myself to them.
I absolutely love “The Quacks of Quedlinburg” for a number of reasons. Firstly, the fact that all of your turns take place at the same time is key to ensuring there’s barely any downtime. Equally, once you get used to it, you can actually play in a relatively short period of time but still get the sense that you’ve played a decent medium-weight game.
The fact that at the beginning of the game everyone starts with exactly the same bags, and as the game progresses and you buy new chips, your bag evolves and changes, is brilliant from a bag-building point of view. Also, as the game goes on, you start to forget exactly what’s in your bag. When you know you’ve got six chips left in your bag and two of them are whites that are going to tip you over the edge, yet you know there is a chip in there that’s almost certainly going to grant you victory for that round, it’s a nerve-wracking experience deciding what to do.
It’s perfectly acceptable to look over at other players and see how far they’ve progressed. This encourages you to push yourself even further, creating a really compelling game of chicken as each of you slowly draws chips from your bag, desperate to see if anyone is going to explode, and feeling that sigh of relief as you draw a chip knowing there are ones in there that could end your round, but everything is okay.
I’ve played a lot of push-your-luck games over the years, but nothing comes close to the way “Quacks of Quedlinburg” works. All of the abilities are well-designed, everything is laid out clearly and easy to understand, and even though when you first sit down it looks like quite a complex game, once you get your head around it, it’s very accessible. I’ve played this game with my young children, but equally, I’ve taught it and played it with lots of non-gamers.
I clearly should have written this review before I wrote my one of “The Quacks of Quedlinburg: The Duel,” but to do a quick comparison, “The Duel” doesn’t have the same simultaneous gameplay or the same compelling nature that the original does. Equally, in “The Duel,” because you upgrade your tokens, you see inside your bag, and this reduces the tension of not knowing exactly what’s in there, which is such an important part of the original game, especially in the later rounds.
“The Quacks of Quedlinburg” is literally one of my favourite medium-weight games of all time, and I cannot recommend it enough for anyone who is looking for a slightly more complex push-your-luck game. It’s perfect for slightly older children and adults alike.
