As a board game enthusiast, I'm on constant look out for what I call "Ice Breakers". These are games that are easy to learn, easy to teach, and have a low barrier to entry. It also helps, at least initially, if the game moves quickly so that everyone playing remains engaged. Fast Flip ticks all these boxes. But, there are a few things about the game that are worthy of concern.
Despite it's name, Fast Flip is less about quickly flipping cards and more about quickly matching, counting, and responding to the game's variables. On one side of each triangular card is a mix of fruit, on the other side is a single fruit or a number. When you turn over a card to show your selection of fruit, the back of the next card in the deck let's you know what you're looking for. If the next card shows a number, you rush to be the first player to identify the fruit that appears on the card you flipped equal to the number you revealed. The next card shows a fruit, you rush to be the first player to count the number of times that fruit appears on the card you flipped. There are tokens that allow a certain nuance to the game. Rather than being the first to call out the answer, you must be the first that grab the token that matches your answer. In another variation you deal out the tokens randomly into a line and they, rather than the back of the next card in the deck, determine what you're looking.
Fast Flip is designed for 2 to 8 players ages 7 and up. But, I could see my son playing this game at a younger age. Fundamentally, the ability to count up to five is all that's really required, and my two year old can already do that. Conceptually though, she's not ready for it yet.
So there you have it, quick and easy game to play. The concerns, however, are these. The triangle shape of the cards is original enough, but when the game requires you to shuffle the deck, you run into a problem: the shape makes the deck really hard to shuffle. My other major concern is how flimsy the cards are. They're thin, frustratingly so. A problem exacerbated by the difficulty shuffling the deck. The tokens, luckily, are quite thick. They stand up to the hand wrestling required when employing them.
Pros:
- Aluminum tin
- Portable
- Easy to play
- Easy to teach
Cons:
- Flimsy cards
- Card Shape
Takeaway:
A simple game of match and grab that might benefit from a bit higher card quality.
Fast Flip is available via the Blue Orange website for $12.99.
(at the time of this review)
http://www.blueorangegames.com/games/fast-flip
This product was provided for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
#gureviews #fastflip