There's a lot I admire about designer Chevee Dodd. First, the guy has been going to Origins even longer than I have. If you do a bit of research into the history of Scallywags, you'll note that the spark for what would later become Scallywags was planted at the convention all the way back in 1997. Chevee and I also share an unhealthy, fanboy-esque love for designer James Ernest. Finally, Chevee has his roots in Print & Play design, an area I think is wholly unappreciated and rife with fantastic games.
Admiration aside, I was initially introduced to Chevee on Twitter several weeks before Origins 2012. Here was a guy who dove into social media headfirst; starting dialogue, networking and connecting one potential designer to another, and prolifically prototyping and blogging his efforts every step of the way. And I bought in to what he was selling, eventually convincing my wife to play in the inaugural release tournament at the convention that year. Communication with Chevee has continued to this point, and I was happy to comply when he asked if I would be willing to review his game on our website.
Considering the game has won several awards from family focused groups (Parents Choice, Dr. Toy, Tilliwig Family Fun), it should come as no surprise that Scallywags is a light-hearted, family oriented game. For those unfamiliar with how the game plays, Scallywags is essentially a game of who can use their cards to most efficiently collect resources from the center of the table. The crux in all of this hilarious gameplay is the mix of public and private information. At the onset of the game, the coins are strewn on your table; however they land is how they are played. What this means is that you will initially only know the score to be had from 25-50% of the coins at the beginning of the game.
Through shrewd use of the cards in the game, you will be able to steal, peek, etc. at various cards in the center pile. Once you've collected 8 coins (or 6 in a 4-6P game), you can't collect anymore. When all players have 8 (or 6 in larger games) pieces, the game ends, players count up the total number of points granted by their chips, and the highest total wins.
In my opinion, the sweet spot of the game is about 3 players, perhaps 4. With anything larger than four, the game tends to drag on a bit longer than the 15-20 minutes intended, even with the reduced number of coins required for end game.
Through shrewd use of the cards in the game, you will be able to steal, peek, etc. at various cards in the center pile. Once you've collected 8 coins (or 6 in a 4-6P game), you can't collect anymore. When all players have 8 (or 6 in larger games) pieces, the game ends, players count up the total number of points granted by their chips, and the highest total wins.
In my opinion, the sweet spot of the game is about 3 players, perhaps 4. With anything larger than four, the game tends to drag on a bit longer than the 15-20 minutes intended, even with the reduced number of coins required for end game.
"So...", you may be asking, "Is the game fun?" Admittedly, it's a lot lighter than the games I typically play. This, however, is not the say that the game isn't enjoyable. Scallywags was designed to be a light, family friendly game; in that regard it squarely hits the bull's eye. It should be noted that this designation shouldn't be seen as synonymous with simplistic, there's quite a number of decisions to be played in regards to the order in which you'll play your cards. In my first game, I decided to play it safe: I took only coins that were face up and tried to filter through the face down cards to give the 1s or skull and crossbones to my wife. This worked quite well for me, as I won the game by a score of 24 to 15. I thought I had found a dominant strategy, and was pretty eager to test it out again to prove my pirate-y, doubloon collecting superiority. My wife, however, was having none of this. She saw through my plans, stockpiled her "Hands off me Booty" cards, waited for me to amass some treasures, stole them cold-heartedly, and then prevented me from doing the same. Needless to say, I did not win that game.
Overall, Scallywags is a game that succeeds admirably at what it set out to be. If your game group is full of adults who want something complex, this game is probably not for you. If, however, you have some budding gamers in your household, this game is certainly worth checking out. It's a great addition to the Gamewright family and might be a great addition for your family as well.
If you'd like more information about Scallywags, feel free to order the game HERE
You can also get more information about designer Chevee Dodd by
Following him on Twitter
Reading his Google+ Posts
and checking out his blog/website
If you'd like more information about Scallywags, feel free to order the game HERE
You can also get more information about designer Chevee Dodd by
Following him on Twitter
Reading his Google+ Posts
and checking out his blog/website
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