Octocube - Review
Information:
Player Age: 8+
Player Count: 2 - 4 Players
BGG Weight: 1.00
Time to Play: 25 Minutes
Year Published: 2024
Disclaimer: A review copy for the game was provided by the VR Distribution.
Introduction:
Octocube is a magnetic set collection game encompassed by a fun nautical theme. For starters, magnet-based games are far and few between so the attraction of this game is automatic. However, what makes this game truly special is that the player piece is a six-sided octopus that collects treasure at the bottom of the sea. The octopus grabs a hold of whatever they desires (tiles) one piece at a time as they moves throughout the grid. Players will recall their octocube to score points for sets of the same tile type. This, while also building their own 4 by 5 grid to score points at the end of the game for having the majority in each row and column. On the surface, the game can seem very light but this is a fun and quick puzzle of set collection that is easy to teach but challenging to master.
Game Anatomy:
Octocube:
Each player will have their own six-sided magnetised octocube. Each side can only hold one tile at a time.
Tiles:
There are magnetic tiles of four colours (white, light blue, dark blue, green) and five types (diamond, pearl, sextant, amphora, starfish). These tiles will be randomly stacked into a grid of various heights.
Player Board:
Each player board contains locations for all the different colours and icons, creating a 4 by 5 grid. At the end of the game, each row and column will be scored based on the number of pieces in each row and column.
On the flip side of each board is also a family mode, which works as a set collection race rather than individual points.
Abyss Tiles:
Abyss tiles will go onto the board anytime a pile has been vacated.
In the advanced rules, these Abyss tiles create new actions that can be gained by the player if they are on an adjacent location. These rules are shown in an image below.
Coins:
Coins at the end of the game will count as points. These can be gained through in-game and end-game scoring. Coins come in 1, 3, 5, 10, and 25 variations, however, they can be hard to identify during the game as they are all the same shape and size, and only have the value shown on one side.
Setup:
- Create a grid based on player count as shown image below of these tiles
- Place the Abyss tokens to the side by looking at the back of each Abyss token and using only those that are equal to or below the player count.
- Each player gains a player board and an octocube.
- The first player will also gain the large ‘1’ to signal them as the first player.
How to Play:
Turns are very straightforward. If the octocube is off the board, the active player will place it back on the grid on one of the edge pieces.
If this is not the case, a player will either roll, pivot, score, or pass.
Roll:
While keeping the same orientation, the player can roll their octocube onto an adjacent grid. Remember, each side can only hold one tile.
Pivot:
While keeping the top face the same, a player can spin their octocube to any face (without moving the top or bottom) to line up a successful roll on another turn.
Score:
The active player will take their octocube back to their player area and remove as many tiles as they choose. Coin tiles will score three points at the end of the game Item tiles will score 0,2,4,7,10,15 coins from the supply for 1,2,3,4,5,6 tiles of the same item type removed in one turn. These tiles will be placed on the player board matching that colour and item type.
Once the final Abyss token (for that player count) is placed on the board, the game ends after that round is finished. All players will then recall their octocube for one last chance to add to the score.
Final Thoughts:
- In appearance, this game appears like it is designed for kids. Even though there is a ruleset for younger gamers, the gameplay is quite deceptive and can become a challenging spatial/set collection puzzle.
- Coins are problematic to find. There are several variations of value but no difference in size, shape, or colour. The coins are also one sided so players constantly have to dig to find the one coin they need.
Octocube is a fun spatial puzzle that employs the underused mechanism of magnets. Players are moving their large octopus cube around a grid, choosing when to recall and score. On the surface, this game can feel quite light, however, there is a good amount of choices in relation to the game's weight. Players are rewarded by having higher sets of the same item type which results in players reading the grid and planning a path, as well as not always removing all tiles upon recall. There are further advanced rules for the Abyss tiles that adds new actions to switch up gameplay. Additionally, there are advanced tiles that can be added to help give game variety.
The production, besides the indecipherability between the different coins, is great as well. If anyone is looking for a fun and fast game that can be played across the wide range of families then this is a great addition to your collection.
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