Waka-waka-waka...
I am sure you know at least one from the range of abstract games released by Gigamic! They all come with chunky wooden pieces making them pure tactile joy. Our favorite is definitely Qawale, but let’s take a look at another one today: Quoridor! It is actually a pretty old one dating back to 1997, but it just got a new version. As the game is played on a square grid and there are walls and corridors, it seems like Pac-Man as a theme is a match made in heaven. The aesthetics of the vintage arcade game match the board game perfectly. 😁
The core 2-player gameplay remains the same. Players start on opposite ends of the square grid, and the goal is to reach the other side. On their turn they either move once orthogonally or they place down a wall to block their opponent - ☝️ with the main rule of course that you cannot completely block in the other. Basically that’s it, you now know how to play, though there are some small nuances like being able to jump over the other if they are next to you. A simple concept, but it works.
The Pac-Man version does come with an extra variant, that you could play with up to 5 players. 🧐 One player will take control of Pac-Man, and they have to collect 4 pellets while avoiding the 4 Ghosts. Others play as Ghosts, trying to catch Pac-Man (actually 3 times, as Pac-Man has some spare lives). Each turn Pac-Man gets to move 2 spaces, while ghosts only 1, so it’s kind of a team effort, as you have to box Pac-Man in to stand a chance. Additionally, if Pac-Man is straight in front of a Ghost, that Ghost gets a bonus “frenzy” movement. Another twist is that after eating a pellet, Pac-man gets a bonus surge of speed and can eat ghosts during those movements.
The idea for the extra game mode is cool and it really invokes the nostalgia of the arcade game, however it’s a bit simple with not much space for strategy. I wish there were some additional mechanics or special rules to spice things up, at least as optional variants. But even if you ignore the new game mode, and play with the normal rules, the Pac-Man version to me is far superior thanks to the aesthetics. 😊
❓Do you have a favorite from this range?
Review copy by @asmodee_germany
