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Moonlight Hippos and the Dreaded Croc's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Best family game | #2 | 4.200 | 4.200 |
| Best solitaire game | #3 | 2.400 | 2.400 |
| Most unique design | #3 | 3.800 | 3.800 |
| Best 2 player game | #3 | 2.800 | 2.800 |
| Best use of theme | #4 | 3.800 | 3.800 |
| Overall | #4 | 3.457 | 3.457 |
| Best game for 3+ players | #5 | 3.400 | 3.400 |
| Best rule book | #5 | 3.800 | 3.800 |
Ranked from 5 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
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Comments
I enjoyed playing this little game. Because we didn't have cubes of 7 colours, we ended up using random bits and writing on the bottom of the paper what the effect each different bit has (ended up serving as a player aid too)
As written in the rulebook, the white, purple and pink cubes' abilities were a bit hard to remember and it was hard to differentiate them or associate the ability with the bits. It would have been better if their abilities weren't so different too.
With the current rules, we found that it's tactically best to not go in the hole if you're done, instead go close to the watering hole, then step on and off a purple cube to give actions to the hippo lagging behind.
Other than that, the rules were very clear and we got in the game pretty fast. The gameplay experience was more fun at the start of the game, where we made our pathing plan, then the rest of the game was somewhat procedural, executing on the plan then bam, we win. Some randomness or uncertainty during play could have brought more planning or reactionary decisions, however I can appreciate that this puzzle gameplay can work fine for younger ages.
Overall a fine entry :)
I didn't have time to play (sorry!), but read through the rules. With that in mind, take my comments with a pinch of salt!
First up, the rules are really clear and well written.
I love the theme! It's unique, interesting and a really good match for families. With that in mind, I wasn't sure what the cubes are meant to represent. Different foods/grasses?
Thanks Robin! Yes - the different cubes are different types of grasses - except for the pink and purple ones (maybe those could be berries), and the white ones which are lions.
First off, the theme is adorable. Genius move to have the consequence of losing being a bad sunburn. Perfect for your target age range. After playing, I couldn't stop talking about what a production version of this would look like. HABA would have a field day kitting this out with adorable wooden bits!
In reading your incredibly clear rules, we weren't sure if there was much to this. But, hoo boy, we were wrong. This little game is surprisingly tactical! We won, but on literally the last action of the game. And after a team discussion of how to proceed with the final round.
The amount of components is a big ask for a print-and-play and it makes the game a little fiddly. We wondered if the board was made of randomly organized tiles and you only have to place cubes on space marked with hippo colors. The special ability cubes could be printed on the tiles themselves. It's a possibility.
But if folks have enough bits to scatter on the table, it's pretty rewarding. Each color cube having a specific rule is great. One addition to your next draft would be a clear player aid to lay out what each color does.
It also forces team collaboration. As with any co-op, quarterbacking will no doubt happen with this, but that's on them, not you as a designer.
Our big question as a two-player team: must you always play with all four hippos? We did and it wasn't too difficult to keep focused, but I feel like your next edit (because this is so solid) could acknowledge scaling. It's my biggest fear and has me in cold sweats during design so I wish you luck there.
All in all, we thought this was super cute, surprisingly complex, and kind of a winner.
Cheers!
Thanks so much Chris! We'd love to see a HABA treatment for this game. Their components are so perfect - and the croc is already one of their pieces!
Glad to hear the rules were clear enough to be understood and that you had some fun giving the game a try. Especially glad that the timing of the endgame was so perfect - that was one of the trickiest parts to figure out in the design. Good point about the reference cards. We are taking a look at haw scaling the game could work too.
Given the amount of bits this game's ultimate fate might not be the PnP format !
Thanks again, and keep well!
Hey me and my wife played your game. We had a lot of fun and we WON! I have further comments for you, but I chose to send it to you in a twitter message, so check there soon! Thanks for the opportunity, it was such a fun concept!
First let me say thank you for taking the time to play ‘Hippos’ and for your amazing and insightful feedback. Let me take a moment to address some your points individually.
Glad to hear it - the amount of time players have was one of the hardest things to playtest quickly.
You are certainly correct about this game taking a ton of components - I think ultimately it would serve better as a non-PnP game but for those who happen to have lots of bits laying around it can work in a pinch.
Anywhere on the board is ok.
These are free actions.
This costs 1 move action.
The game plays best at 2 and 4 players. 3 players is ideal for maybe a parent playing with 2 younger kids where the grown-up controls the extra hippo. We also play as a group of three and just share responsibility for the fourth hippo.
Good idea - definitely worth exploring.
Designing with my son is the highlight of every game we make. I hope you get to share that same fun someday! Keep well, and thanks again!
It sounds like a very fun puzzle-type game :)
Could you clarify this sentence in the rules: "On your turn you take 3 actions"
Is that "On your turn you MUST take 3 actions" or "On your turn you MAY take 3 actions"? Or in other words: Can a player pass and do nothing as an action?
Thanks :)
Thanks for the feedback! Yes, players can choose not to take all 3 of their actions - I'll clarify that in the rules doc.