The Donut Guy Blog

My experience with Rebel Princess goes right along with my experience with princesses. I find myself dazzled a bit every time I get a chance to see them, but you can’t marry someone you just met. This game is quite different because I’m happy to get it out to play anytime.

Let’s start with the gameplay itself. Trick is all the rage but this game layers strategy around whether or not you want to take the trick or influence somebody else on it. By adding a different influential, mechanic or scoring change with each of the rounds you play, at random this game feels different every time you get it down based on the gameplay let alone the different people you play it with. The games I played with kids and adults both felt different and engaging. With four different designers at the helm I feel like the group effort definitely provided some unique success with different mechanics in the individual cards.

Next is the art and themes of this game. Turning the damsel in distress, princess on its head is something that really speaks to many people. My daughter, as an example sees this approach as something that fits her more as a person, and I enjoy games emulating where we are going in our culture.  The princesses are recognizable and trademark distinct, but each of them represents something in everybody’s mind as well as a related mechanic, giving that princess some power. The art feels soft and inviting, and the color palette works well with one another. Alfredo Cáceres has done an excellent job drawing you into the storybook of a game with their art.

Getting the game on the table has been exciting. The instructions are informative for skilled and new gamers. I found it easy to teach the rules both at an adolescent and adult level. Bringing this out at our local game store, the regulars had a nice time teaching each other the hard way why or why not they would want to trick in their hands. Special shout out goes to whoever had the idea of the Frog becoming the ultimate villain of this game. It will easily go down as one of the most reviled cards ever ever to grace my house.

I wanna bring it right back to where we started with the great publisher of this work. Zombie Paella has made something really exciting here. I want to thank their partner Bezier for providing me copies to review, as well as keep up with how it’s expanding. The new individual cards as well as the storybook expansion really adds to the game. I have no doubt the next expansions will be similar and make me smile.

Overall rating is a 10 out of 10. Inspired work on how to not get married.