SPALDING WARGAMING CLUB
Dicey Goblins is nothing special. Rubbish name, cheap components, not much to it. But here's the thing: it's ridiculously good fun to play.
It's a push-your-luck game. You play 6 rounds. In each round you add 2 dice to the board and decide whether to run away (hoping to grab some dragon eggs on the way out) or press on (hoping the hoard will increase in value). Those who don't run roll the dice. Some dice go into the dragon's hoard, offering more eggs; some go into the dragon's wrath, depicting skulls; some (with feet on them) go back into the general pool, increasing the number of dice rolled on the next pass. Eventually ether everyone has run away, one person survives to collect the big loot or the dragon awakes (if 3 dice with skull icons accumulate) and the turn ends.
The twist comes in the form of the red dice, which lets you steal your reward from someone else instead of the general supply. The other thing to bear in mind is that, if only one person runs away, they take a dice and claim the reward on it; but if several people run away, they claim a much more dismal reward each.
Eventually, someone reaches 18 points or 6 rounds have passed and you all score up. You should be able to do this in 20 minutes but it might only take five!
This simple mechanic produces lots of very fraught scenarios. Do you run away early and claim a solid prize: but what if someone else thinks like you and you both get peanuts? But even peanuts is something, if everyone else wakes the dragon and gets zip. It's as much about psyching out your rivals as pushing your luck. The mechanic of making your choice together is what makes this compelling: it's not so much your choice as your ability to second guess everybody else's choices that matters. But there's no time for Analysis Paralysis because, whoops, here comes another turn and we start over.
This is a great icebreaker game, with a surprising amount of thought and risk assessment for something with so few components. OK, it only really comes into its own with 4+ players, but how many games entertain 6 people for half an hour with no headaches or tears? Thank you, The Works, for another bargain basement winner.
This is a great icebreaker game, with a surprising amount of thought and risk assessment for something with so few components. OK, it only really comes into its own with 4+ players, but how many games entertain 6 people for half an hour with no headaches or tears? Thank you, The Works, for another bargain basement winner.