4 CGE Boardgame Reviews For The Price Of One!

0:01 Hello, welcome back to the channel and this is a channel where we give you reviews. Don't do unboxings, but we might do a few playthroughs if you behave yourselves. But today we're going to be looking at a plethora of games that have recently been released by Czech Games Edition or CGE for the uninitiated. Couple of these are reprints of games that have previously been released and a couple of them are original ideas. Right. So, I'm not going to waffle on any longer. So let's have a look at the first game. Right.

0:41 So the first game we're going to look at is a very very small card game called Frank's Zoo. I have been looking for this for probably about 15 years. Yeah. I can only find it on Amazon. Duh or foreign websites and it always came with like foreign instructions. I know I can download a PDF. Yeah. But it was wildly expensive as well. So I avoided it like the bubonic or pneumonic or pneumatic play in it. Check games edition have re-released it and we have got a copy of it and we played it quite a bit. So there's two different modes in Franku. You've got the competitive mode called the wild rumble mode and then you got the team rumble mode. Yeah, you're going to set out a bunch of victory points depending on how many people are playing the game and you're going to get a hand of cards. Right. The aim of the game is to get rid of all your cards first and that will allow you to claim some victory points. And on your turn, you can lead, pursue, pass, or collect and lead, right? So, you can only lead if there's no animals in the center of the table. And you can play one animal card or multiples of the same species into the center of the table called the field. Right? If you want to pursue, there has to be cards that are already in the field. Right? You can play the same species that were already there except you have to play one more into the pot, right? Or you can outrank these species. Yeah, you'll see that on the cards there's an animal and there's also like a little fort bubble and then there's some animals in the fort bubble.

2:01 Those animals in the fort bubble are the animals that will outrank the animal that you're trying to outrank. Yeah. So, if you cannot pursue or you don't want to, then you can pass, but you can still play on your next turn if you so desire. So, if you want to collect and lead, then this means that if all the animals played are still on top of the field at the start of your next turn, meaning like everybody else passed, right? Then you will collect all of the cards in the field. You will then put all these cards face down in your animal stack, and then you will take the lead action, right? So, there's some special animals here. There's a mosquito, which you can lead from their own set, but you can't outrank with mosquitoes as they don't outrank any animals. And then there's the chameleon, which you can play as any other species, right? So when you play your last card, you're out of the round, take the top card of a points deck and place it in front of you. And as soon as only one player has cards left in their hand, the round ends immediately, right?

2:52 So the book says you can keep playing or do something else. I don't know. And that is how you play Frank's sort of roughly sort of doy like Frank's Zoo. So the first thing we quite like about this is that they added a team variant, a team rumble. Yeah. Now you can play as a group. You don't have to play against each other. And where this game is a little bit cutthroat, if you don't like that sort of thing, then you can join a team and you can have a little rumble that way. Right. The second thing that we quite like about Frank Zoo is that they have kept the original artwork. Yeah, that was something that was sort of charming about the original German game. And I'm glad that they have kept it and they haven't put in any of this. I was going to say anthropomorphic animals, but that's exactly what these [ __ ] things are. So yeah, I'm glad that they've kept the original artwork cuz it is kind of cute in it. You know what I mean? So what don't we like about Frank Zoo?

3:42 So the first thing that we don't like about Frank Zoo is that we are a little bit confused as to what the mosquitoes do. Yeah, in the rules it says you can't outrank with the mosquitoes, but if you look in the thought bubble of the mosquitoes, there is clearly some animals in that thought bubble. And the game also tells you that the animals in the thought bubble outrank the mosquito. But then there's some animals missing. So can you outrank with a mosquito or not? I don't know. I haven't got the answer. I'm sure there's going to be some smart ass in the comments that will tell me and I hope you do because I am genuinely confused about this. Maybe it's cuz I'm stupid or maybe it's for some other reason that I can't put my finger on. So, the second thing that we don't like about Frank Zoo is that there's sometimes in the game that you just don't have the cards to do anything and you are forced to pass yet. And that is a real pain in the [ __ ] Yeah. Sitting there waiting for turn to come around, somebody plays a card and you're like, "Well, I've got nothing that outranks that. I can't do anything. I'm going to have to pass. I'm going to have to pass. I'm going to have to pass.

4:35 Somebody's taking all the cards and yeah, that's the end of that it. So, a quick summary of Frank Zoo. I was really looking forward to playing this and I played this a lot of times with two, three, four players and I just don't understand the strategy. It's a bit of a misnomer. The mosquitoes adds to the confusion and it just seems like you're just randomly putting cards out hoping that you have been dealt the right cards. And whilst the artwork is great, the game sadly is lacking. The second game is another smallbox game. It's a game called Unami, the forest food fest. This is a multiplayer game. You're going to put some favorite cards out onto the table. And this is like a sort of a menu that some of these creatures on the cards want to eat.

5:20 Yeah. Each player is going to get a hand of four ingredients cards. And on your turn, you will take one card from your hand and one card from the display that was set up in setup and you'll put them in front of you. And what you'll be trying to do, you're basically trying to match the cards that are in your tableau with the cards that are on the favorites. Yes, if there's a red and a green favorite card, you're going to be trying to match those cards. Yeah. Further to this, there are a few icons on the cards. There's a steel icon, there's the blossom icon, and there are stars, right? The steel icon allows you to steal other players set dishes. the customer will be asking for a higher numbered dish or a lower numbered dish. So, you'll be trying to play identical dishes but higher or lower than the opponent who's claimed it. Yeah. And if you do that, you can take the favorite card. Blossoms will break ties when you try and claim the favorite cards because you can do this at any time during the game, not just on your turn, but on other people's turns. And the stars are basically victory points. Yeah. And there's also a secret favorites phase.

6:16 So once the last favorite card is taken, the secret favorite card that you were dealt gets revealed. And if I read this right, anybody can claim any of your favorites yet. So whoopitydoo. So once you've done that, then you will count up all of the stars that you have got. Then the player with the most stars will be the winner of Unami. Notami and not your grand nanny. What do we like about Unami? So the first thing that we quite like about Unami is the fact that the game allows you to act outside of your own turn. I know this means nicking other people's dishes and that might be a little bit of a negative for some people but you are constantly engaged. You'll be looking at what other people are doing and you will be thinking right I've got this card in my hand. I hope they don't take that card in the middle because then I can nick their dish because it has got a lower value right so the player interactivity is quite strong in this one. So second thing that we quite like about it is brimming with color they've used a vibrant palette and when you're well into the game the cards look fantastic on the table when they are next to each other. Yes, they've done really well to make this game look as good as they can when it's basically just a deck of cards. Well, it actually is just a deck of cards. Yeah, don't lie about Unami.

7:24 So, the first thing that we don't like about it is that whilst we said they've used a vibrant palette, there is not much detail on the ingredients cards themselves, a lot of them just look very, very sort of uninspiring. Yeah, it's just a card that is green with like something illustrated on it and it all seems to sort of blend into one thing. Okay, it looks like a screen grab from Fruit Ninja. Do you know what I mean? But what else would you want on a card game apart from a load of chopped up cucumber to inspire you in your life's mission? So, second thing that we found a bit of a pain in the ass with this is that if you are the victim of the stealing mechanic multiple times, then you are going to be one demoralized bastard, right? And when you get targeted like this, just because you have got some of the best stuff out early on in the game, then the stuff that you built up early because you were lucky becomes a long-term target for other people. Yeah. And the people who built up later are going to have less chance to have their stuff stolen because the game operates on a sort of a pyramid structure where you've got all the options at the beginning and they gradually become less and less and less.

8:30 Yeah. So I suppose that's the tactic, isn't it? Don't get your stuff out too early, but then you've got to really to get the points. Yeah. Yeah. It's a bit of a weird one, but there you go. Just sort of I don't know, punch somebody in the face with any of your cars in it. So a little summary of an army. Yeah, we really enjoyed this one. I played this with my daughter quite a bit. She keeps on requesting it and uh yeah, there's a little bit of strategy. Maybe it is a little bit too cutthroat, but my daughter took great pleasure in nicking all of my set dishes. And uh yeah, that really annoyed me. So, it probably isn't suitable for people that like their stuff to be nicked. And is there any people out there that like that happening? Probably. So, the next game that we're going to talk about is a reprint of a wildly successful game. This is code names XXL. Yeah. Okay. Look, everybody knows how to play code names. Yeah, it's a word game.

9:18 You're going to be split into two teams. You're going to have this little code grid and you're going to have a bunch of cards on the table and you will be given clues to try and get your team to guess which words correspond to your grid and all that sort of thing. The difference being with Code Names XXL is, hang on a minute, let me think about this. Um, is that it's a little bit bigger. Yeah, the words are bigger, the cards are bigger, the playerboard detective boards are bigger, and everything's just a little bit bigger. Yeah. And it does say that you get uh was it another 28 words? 28 words in the box.

9:48 28 words. Get the [ __ ] in.

9:51 But yeah, it's basically the same game. It's code names. And there you go. So, what do we like? But code names XXL. So, the first thing that we like about this is that obviously it's easier to see on the table. Yeah, me being a geriatric bastard, my eyesight is failing rapidly and this makes it easier to play the game. Yeah, obviously if you're playing this with big groups on a big table, this is the version you're going to want to get, you know, like at conventions or large parties because everyone's going to be able to see exactly what the [ __ ] is going on. Nobody's going to be squinting over the other side of the table going, "What does that word say? Does it say knickers or does it say Dentry?" See, the fact that they have made this game bigger, well, that's the selling point, isn't it? I mean, don't take a [ __ ] rocket scientist to figure that out, does it? That's what we like about code names XXL.

10:37 So, the first thing that we don't really like about this is, let's be honest, it's not really XXL, is it? It's more like just L. The cards are bigger. Yeah, but they're not that bigger. I mean, it's not like Rhino Hero XXL where everything's massive. Well, all the other XXL games. This is just a little bit bigger. I mean, I don't even think the cards are twice the size. If you put them long ways, then they look like that much bigger. If you put them vertical, then you can get two and a bit on there. Does that mean it's XXL? There's two X's. I don't know. It doesn't seem like it's big enough. For a game that's got XXL on it, then you would expect the cards to be at least double the size or a little bit bigger than that. And I don't actually think they are. You know what I mean? So, second thing that we found a little bit disappointing about this is that it's still just regular code names, albeit just a little bit bigger, right? Think of code names getting a semi and that's as close as you're going to get. Yeah, it's a little tiny little bit bigger, but it's not as big where it's going to excite you or be used in places where it doesn't usually get used, right? So, maybe Code Names XXL should have had something extra in the box to entice people to go for it.

11:45 And as it stands, I'm not saying it's a bad thing. We actually really do think this has its space there as like a niche for this sort of thing, but it's a tad underwhelming. Yeah, it could have opened the box and been blown away by the sheer size and girth of what's inside. But we were like, "Right, okay, fair enough. It's bigger, but not that much bigger." So, a little summary about code names XXL. I mean, I've basically already said this, so I'm going to repeat myself. Yeah, it's regular code names, but it's a little tiny bit bigger. Yeah, if you are losing your eyesight, your eyesight's been degraded, this is going to be perfect for you. If you always play this in huge groups in huge open spaces and stuff with loads and loads of people, then this is going to be perfect for you. But if you are just going to play code names in a normal environment, then stick with the original code names. Yeah. So yeah, it's actually not that bad.

12:34 Next game, the final game we're going to talk about is a well, it's like a is it a small it's not a small box game. It's like a mediumsiz box game called Whisp Wood. You're going to make up a little board in the center of the table. You put some tiles on there face up. Then you'll put some goal cards to the side of the board like you would in sort of Cascadia or harmonies or something like that. You're going to take a tree tile, put it face down, and then you're going to put your cat in a ready state on that tile. Yeah. And then you will either take a basic turn or you'll take a tree turn. If you take a basic turn, you'll choose one of the tiles between two shapes. And then you will add the shape to your forest by placing it beside a tile that's already in your forest. Yeah. And you will have to create one of the shapes that's next to the tile that you took. Yeah. So, if it's like that sort of L-shaped thing, you'll have to create that by using tree tiles to make up the extra stuff, right? So, if all of the tiles are the same, you can take them all off and repopulate it. Or you can flip your cat over to do this as you like and it will be hidden. You will notice because you can see the cat's eyes through the tree, right? If you flip a cat, it also allows you to take any shape you like without actually taking a tile next to it. Right? So, a tree turn is where you're going to be taking one, two, or three tiles and sticking them in your display. Right?

13:40 The end of a round comes when one player has made a 4x4 grid in the first round, the second round a 5x5 grid and in the third round, funny old thing, a 6x6 grid. And then you'll look at the scoring cards and then you'll score your grid based on like I don't know how many trees are below a heart symbol or how many witches you've got on the board, right? And then the player with the most points will be the winner of wisp wood. What do we like about wisp wood? So, the first thing that we quite like about this is the novel use of the Tetris mechanic. Yeah. So, you're going to get an option. You're not just going to be told which shape to make. You're going to be able to take one or two or maybe more if you use your cap, right? And then you'll be fiddling around on your board trying to squeeze it in. And it's not always going to be possible to do this. Yeah. So, you're going to have to sort of maybe plan ahead as to where you're going to be able to place these different shapes. Yeah. And I love Tetris. Yeah. I've always liked it since it first come out in the 80s. And the fact that it's still being used is a good thing because it's familiar, isn't it? And when you're trying to teach this game to new people, you just go, all you're going to be doing is making like Tetris shapes on your board and creating a grid of a certain size. Piece of piss.

14:45 So, the second thing we quite like about this, and okay, this isn't unique to this game yet, but there are loads and loads and loads of different scoring cards in the game yet. So, you're not just going to have one or two. There's a bucketload of different scoring options. though where you'll be randomly placing these out at the beginning of the game. There's going to be loads and loads of scoring opportunities and different ways to play the game. Yeah. So, it's not just going to be the same sort of thing. And obviously, this has been used in Cascadia harmonies and all that sort of thing, but they've chucked it in here. They didn't just sort of scrimp on the longevity of the game or doite about wisp wood. So, the first thing we don't really like about this is there is literally no theme. Yeah. It's just something about willow the wisps in the forest. Yeah. And there's not even anything in the rule book to tell you about a little bit of backstory. Not even like a couple of sentences. Yeah, it's just nothing. So yeah, the theme seems a little bit what they call it pasted on. Just tacks on for no reason whatsoever. And they could have put something in here, especially when you're playing with children. They like a little bit of backstory, don't they? Like what you are actually doing and some sort of motivation as to what the hell is going on in this world and there's literally nothing. So, the second thing that really sort of annoyed us about this is that the game drags on for too long, especially in the third round. Yeah. Cuz you're going from four to five to six. And what it would have been best if you had six to start, you'll brain still fresh. Then have five, then have four because the amount of time it takes to get to the end of the game will shrink. Yeah. But as it happens, this game will expand and you're going to be looking at the 6x6 grid thinking we still got to do another round. Yeah. And cuz you'll be doing the same thing from round to round, it can

16:17 great, especially with four players. Yeah. So, I don't know. I don't do house rules, but maybe you could just maybe do two rounds or maybe do a four and two fives or something if you do find yourself getting a little bit lethargic, but yeah, it can drag on for a little bit too long for my liking. You know what I mean? So, yeah. Summary of Whiswood. I was actually quite pleasantly surprised with this game. Yeah. Okay. There's no theme, but it's not a deal breaker, is it? The fact that it uses Tetris, a familiar mechanic, is a good thing. It's a good brain teaser, you know what I mean? I actually did find myself sort of quite enjoying trying to work out where I was going to put these shapes next. Yeah. Plus, it's got like a cat token in it, which is always a bonus, isn't it? So, Whisperwood, yeah, I genuinely recommend this one. I really do like it quite a bit. So, you go, that is four new or new reprints from Czech Games Edition. Okay, Frankie wasn't that great. The Nami was better. Code names XXL. Obviously, it's code names. It's going to be good and it's a little bit bigger. and Wispwood was the standout addition to this stack of games. Yeah. So, there you go. That's four games from Czech Games Edition. One of our favorite games companies of all time cuz they keep pushing out banger after banger. And uh yeah, if you like these games, go and buy them. Yeah.

17:23 Because I don't think they're that expensive, which is a good thing in this day and age. Yeah. So, remember, if you are new here, consider subscribing to this channel, hit the like button, and all that YouTube [ __ ] See you next time.