Eye to Eye: Review

Eye 2 Eye: Review

Information:

Mechanics: Bluffing, Real-Time
Player Age: 8+ 
Player Count: 2 Players
Time to Play: 10 Minutes
Game Designer: Bartłomiej Buller, Mateusz Puchalski, Daniel Jan Kownacki, Krystian Kamil Najder
Game Artist: Dawid Malik
Publisher: Smart Flamingo Games
Year Published: 2024
BGG Weight: 1.00
Disclaimer: A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher.

Introduction:

Eye 2 Eye is a two-player memory game. The key twist is that players have to remain eye-to-eye literally as they stare at each other throughout the game. Players are building four communal piles from the cards in their hands. When two passes occur in a row through both players or one player. The round will end and each player will select a pile. Whichever player has a better poker hand and doesn't have the broken weapon card will win and land a wound on their opponent. 

Two wounds on a player and the other player wins.

Card Anatomy:

There are three of each value, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace. As well as two broken weapon cards. 

The poker hands can contain six cards as part of the chosen hand.  The hands from best to worst are:

- Three of a kind twice.
- Three of a kind and a pair (full house).
- Three pairs.
- Ace, King, Queen, and Jack.
- Three of a kind.
- Two pairs.
- Pair

Setup:

At the start of the game, the three wounds will be placed to the side. Besides this each round each player will receive a broken weapon. The hits will be shuffled and four cards will be dealt to each layer and four will be spread across four piles between the players.

How to Play:

Each round players will be taking turns either playing a card from their hand onto one of the four piles, or moving the top card from one pile onto another pile, or passing. 

The round will end when either player passes twice in a row or both players pass in sequence. Not all the cards have to be played for a round to be over. Each player at the end of the round grabs one pile. Each player's pile is revealed, and any player with a broken weapon card isn't successful. The player without a broken weapon card and the highest pile (hand value) deals the other player one wound.

Final Thoughts:

- Rapid gameplay.
- Fun twist of staring at each other's eyes.
- Good use of poker hands in a memory game.

Eye 2 Eye is a great filler when you want a quick game to take with you, or a silly game to break up a day of games. In Eye to Eye, your memory will be tested as you try to remember what cards are in what pile, while at the same time trying to read your opponent purely from their eyes. If you select the pile with no broken weapon card and the best hand then you will shoot down your opponent. Do this twice and you win. If silly real-time games are your jam this adds a western spin to the memory/real-time genre.

Click...feed the addiction: 

Smart Flamingo Games

Eye 2 Eye on BGG

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