Nut Hunt! Kickstarter Preview

Review:

Initial Impression/Components: 

The digital components for this game were a direct 3d model of the physical components for the game, and they looked great. I did see a bunch of videos and photos of this game in its physical state and can say that even though I never got my hands on it, I know that its quality is sound. Initially, I love the theme, bright colors, and art throughout. I have never associated squirrels with nests, even though they do make nests, but the nests in Nut Hunt fit in smoothly. 

Favorite:  

My favorite piece of the game is the fox and I think if we are being honest, we all love a good ol’ fashioned hunter vs prey chase such as the cartoon classic coyote vs roadrunner. Note: no squirrels were harmed in the making of this game unless you count their strategy 🐿. What I enjoyed the best about the fox was how you never knew which way it would go because a dice was rolled each time to choose its direction. If the fox lands on the same tile as any squirrels, they all scatter. I really liked that part as I felt it was what embodied the struggle of the squirrel(s) trying to complete their tasks and constantly getting distracted- Hey, a Pecan, I need that!

Least Favorite: 

I’d have to play more to give an accurate assessment, but I’m interested if there needs to be a -2 penalty for not completing routes. If you successfully complete a route, you get the point value of the card, let’s say 3. If you don’t complete it, you get -2. This seems pretty punishing by creating a difference of 5 in a tight point game (if an opponent succeeded with a route and you did not). However, as you have the ability to draw extra objectives, I understand the need; perhaps a -1 would fit better though.  

Overall: 

It’s a nice entry level euro game, that you can get to the table to share a couple of laughs amidst the excitement. The short game length and super quick turns make it an ideal choice for seekers of a lightweight game with a feel-good atmosphere. If only we could understand what squirrels are saying, I’d love to hear them weigh in. All I can imagine is “Get off of my lawn”, you know how territorial they can be .

Areas they did well: 

– Art style

– Just enough strategy

– Element of chance and resolution

– Thematic tie in

– Fox chase/scatter mechanism

– Replayability

– Easy ruleset

– Game length

Areas they could have improved:  

– This was a short and sweet game. I didn’t write anything down during my playtest that I would want changed. It’s already at that “just right” point to fit in its class for complexity, length, and enjoyment. Changing anything would likely change its genre and/or style and I was pleased with the vibe the game gave off.

Final Thoughts:  

I got a little cheeky in the above categories and said all that I needed to. I’d recommend this for family game night, for new gamers, for people that don’t know their game group well, and for a light time filler with just enough going on to not be complicated but still engaging.

I’ll see you next time, back here at The Game Table,
Zerility

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Brad Hiscock, aka “Zerility”, is a construction project manager and electrician by trade who was the owner of a 6-time award winning electrical company. His passion for board games has led him from playing hundreds of original titles to creating a design and publishing company of his own, Convivial Games. As an up and coming collaborator on many projects, he is always eager to try new games and meet new people.

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