Unicorn Fever is a betting game in which unwitting unicorns and their mindless desire to run on rainbows are exploited by unscrupulous citizen of the fairy realm, for profit... and glory!
Each player is a wealthy bettor, determined to be recognised as a the most skillful unicorn-race wagerer of the Unicorn Racing Championship and hold the title until the next rainbow appears. During 4 races, players will try to place successful bets to gain Victory Points and Gold.
To reach their goal, they will buy Contracts with unscrupulous citizens of the fairy realm to hire their services and turn the odds of the race in their favor, play Magic cards to straight up fix it, and try to avoid squandering all their hard-earned Gold and be forced to ask the Elf-Mob for Loans. At the end of the Championship, the player with the most Victory Points will be the winner!
>> GAMEPLAY
HOW DOES THE RACE WORK?
In Unicorn Fever the race is managed by an AI mechanism. When the race starts, you won't be able to perform any action: the unicorns will freely run and sprint on the board. All you can do is watch the race unfold, shouting and cheering for your favorite unicorn!
WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS OF THE PLAYERS, THEN?
Players will perform 3 actions before each race, allowing them to fix the race with Magic, place Bets, hire shady characters to gain special abilities, or even perform combos between the above.
Since the action tokens available are limited, you will also have to read the intentions of your opponents and perform the actions you need before it is too late!
WHO WINS?
Players obtain Victory Points and money with each of their successful Bets over the course of 4 races. Bets can be placed on Victory (5VPs), or Podium (3 or 2 VPs). On average, unicorns with better odds run faster than those with the worse odds, but successful bets on slower unicorns pay better! Players must take risks and play wisely to turn the odds to their favor!
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- What enters my collection is a whole another story.
- I'm absolutely hooked on it. I love Primal.
- If I add something to my collection, ideally I want to see it there a year from now, at least a year from now.
- It is such a good implementation of the Glass Road system.
- It's not forever, but it feels like a forever game for me.
References (from this video)
- colorful components
- engaging powers on unicorns
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- racing / bid-based movement — Players bid and influence unicorn movement along a rainbow track.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- we played a total of 30 different games this month
- this month flew by
- friggin love it it is an incredibly tight engine builder
- i friggin loved this game
- we love wingspan we need to get some of the expansions though
References (from this video)
- Magical world
- Unicorn racing
- Fantasy
- Magical
- Whimsy
- Unicorns
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- moments during board games that formulate memories that you'll never forget
- there's just something for everyone
- it's all about the people
- the board gaming space has allowed me to just have so many incredible fun moments that i'll never forget
- it chose us via christy
- we're gonna have it at jeff's parents basement everybody's coming
- agricola sucks and everybody else seems to love it
- arnak is severely overrated
- i don't think gloomhaven should be number one on the list anymore
- humans are not good at rating things
- my nine is different than your nine
References (from this video)
- light, approachable for new players
- fun social dynamics
- may not satisfy heavier gamers
- unicorns and whimsy
- lighthearted fantasy party vibe
- casual party game
- Happy Salmon
- For Sale
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- group puzzle/party mechanic — players participate in quick, light interactions focused on whimsy.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- "I love hate drafting"
- "it's christmas when you unbox a game"
- "the sound of dice hitting the side of a wooden dice tray"
- "brew baby"
- "i'm literally miserable playing unicorn fever"
- "I love the first time you get to unbox a board game"
References (from this video)
- Unique racing theme
- Multiple betting options
- Interactive gameplay
- Variable odds system
- Complexity of rules
- Luck-based elements
- Unicorn racing with betting and magical interference
- Magical realm over the rainbow
- Whimsical racing game
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Betting — Players place win or show bets on unicorn racers
- Magic Cards — Players can play cards to influence race outcomes
- race movement — Unicorns move based on movement cards and sprint dice
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Unicorns race and players place bets on them to win glory and gold in the championship
- Players will sign contracts with shady creatures of the fairy realm to hire their services and turn the odds of the race in their favor
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- we have only 19 unplayed games since then we played 14 of the games that were on that list
- we are challenging ourselves to play all of these games by the end of the year
- star wars rebellion is on the list and it's at the top