This game came across our feed with Capybara Crush. We were immediately intrigued by the cuteness of the art and how it just seemed like something cozy. They were nice enough to send us a review copy and upon getting both games I could see the appeal.
First, these are small and easy to travel boxes. For anybody looking to play these as a family, you could take them on trips and to different areas to play with a group. The art itself displays a cute family aesthetic that can draw different age players.
I showed the games to my wife and she chose to play Otter along with a dinner date night together. There is just something nice about sitting down to play a game while snacking on charcuterie.
Opening up the game it’s easy to set up the organization on the table. By using the tops and bottoms of the otters they naturally set themselves up in the line the game wants you to make. The diagrams inside the instructions also allow you to understand the set up.
One area of improvement needed is the organization of the instruction manual. We did not find the manual easy to follow or in an order that was easy to explain. Since we were doing a dinner, we did not have a moment to upload the instructional video which I do believe would have done a better job setting us up to play. I feel like it’s something you wanna sit down with more to make sure you know the order of operations in the manual so you’ll understand the game.
When it comes to playing, we had a lot of fun. The ability to string cards together at one time to empty your hand and try to get the lucky stone was a very good experience. The game offers a mandatory low tide and optional high tide game mechanic that you use to play. Doing it with two player we firmly believe you need to play with both modes for optimum gameplay. The low tide only mechanic works best with many different people around the table who can do things. Also, low tide only is good with more people since there would be less shuffling due the deck emptying with more draw.
The mechanics of high tide also were interesting because it allowed you to change the otter conditions for placing cards with a risk versus reward by having to draw cards. It felt like both a nice strategic challenge as well as a way to have fun with the other players.
We found ourselves playing a couple different times and I am sad to say I didn’t win a single one of them. It’s a running gag that my wife does not play games often but every time she does, she is automatically amazing. This was no different and she took to it very well. I enjoyed both the complexity as well as the fun that happened along with the play.
I can see this being a great transition game but beyond that also just a fun repeatable experience. There is a definite draw as a family title and is something we will get back to the table. Thank you to Charming Games Collective for providing a review copy. We cannot wait to see some Capybaras in action next.
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