Board game review: Raptor

True to form, I buy a game, leave it on the shelf to collect energy for a while, and then play a whole bunch of rounds. This time, It’s all about Raptor from 2015. Just looking at the box cover art, you know you’re in for a blast. It’s got a lot of kinetic energy, it’s a heist, it’s survival, it’s action in pure cardboard form!

It’s a game for two players, with a game taking about half an hour.

It’s a game by Bruno Cathala (Shadows over Camlot, 7 wonders duel, Kingdomino) and Bruno Faidutti (Mystery of the abbey, Citadels, Mascarade) and I challenge you to find another game made by two Brunos.

The why

The backstory is that you’re either a team of scientists out to steal raptor kids/tranq mama raptor, or you’re mama raptor, trying to eat scientists/save your young ones.

The how

This is done on a semi-random map with obstacles, where you can orthogonally, through either cards or action points. Each player has a deck of nine cards, of which you have three in hand at all times. The cards are numbered from 1 -9.

Each turn you play a card at the same time as your opponent. You then check the numbers. The card with the lower number plays the card, and the card with the higher number gets the difference in action points. If you both have the same value, both cards are canceled. Previously played cards are open, so you always know what your opponent has left in hand and deck.

The verdict

The game is fast and fun, with a surprising amount of tactics involved. Luck of the draw can mean that you never get what you need though, and those games feels a bit disappointing, even with such a small card pool. But overall, the game is fun, and I’d recommend it to anyone that is looking for a quick game for two players, with a fun theme.