Fluxx: The Board Game

  

Published by Looney Labs

          If you haven’t played Fluxx before, it’s a simple enough card game.  The goal is simply to have two cards out in front of you.  Of course, the problem is the goal, the cards, the rules, everything is constantly changing to the point where any sort of strategy goes out the window until it gets to your turn.  The Fluxx board game is as easy to learn as the card game, but with new additions that make things even crazier.

            The main difference in the board game is that, in order to get the current goal, you must have two of your three pieces on certain spots.  And instead of simply having to obtain one goal, you have to obtain several, ranging from 3-6 (and, yes, that number can change throughout).  The board game also keeps the cards intact, making it as much a card game as a board game.  Each turn, you draw cards, then play cards and move pieces in any order you want.  Not having the plays or moves in a set order makes the strategy even crazier.  It’s not impossible to put a piece in a certain spot, then play a card that suddenly changes everything.

            The game, naturally, uses a “board” that can change.  The board here really being 9 tiles that start out arranged in a square, but can easily move.  In fact, putting on the rotate and uproot a tile rules is highly recommended.  It’s a different game when you think you’re about to get a goal next turn, and then suddenly someone takes up one of the tiles and moves it on to the other end of the board.  The game gives each player a free rule change before the game actually starts, which is the perfect opportunity to make sure things are absolutely crazy before a single card is played.

            The game’s setup is fairly simple.  Shuffle the cards, arrange the board, and you’re about good to go.  The game is also fairly light on what it has.  There’s four color cards (yes, the color you’re playing as can change—if you already thought of that without even needing to read this, you’re ready for Fluxx), three pieces of each color, a deck of cards, the 9 tiles, a changeable rule chart, a goal holder, and pegs for the previous two.  There is a slight problem with the rule chart and goal holder, as the pegs for them do not seem to stay in them.  Adding “feet” to the bottom helps out.  Otherwise, expect the pegs to constantly pop out.  It’s a good way to keep track of the rules, but it’s flawed out of the box.

            Whether you’ve played  Fluxx before or this is your first experience with it, Fluxx: The Board Game is a great pick-up and play game, with easy setup and fairly quick game times that can make it easy to do several games in a row.