Puzzle Strike (3rd Edition)

I was excited to get this game but that excitement quickly waned the longer into unpackaging it I got. After I peeled the plastic off the box I slid the lid off which let out the most ungodly roar like sound that I had ever heard. The lid was so tight on that dinosaurs grunted as they helped me slide it off. That should have warned me of the terrors to come, but I wandered forward into the contents.First was the plastic container for the chips that decided to act like a second lid and once again warned me of the horrors to come with a much higher pitched shriek. I didn't think anything of the size of the object, just it kept the contents nice and safe just like the first lid did. The bags that come with it are of an odd material and pattern but do the job. There's some screens and play mats which are nice, very colorful all around. Then I saw it, thick sheets of pre-cut cardboard chips. The first two pages felt okay, I pulled out one by one and put them into piles, two pages of gems and wounds, a page of characters and then I saw the ungodly mess that was the bank chips. Five sheets where none of them repeat. For the characters I just popped out the three character chips and placed them in. For the bank chips I now need to pop from page to page.After two sets of the bank chips I decide this isn't working and would take much too long. So I decided to get a bit more wild. I held one up opposite side toward the table and just punched the back of it until only a few of the chips remained. They scattered and my cat went nuts on them. I threw the empty sheet at the cat to stave him off from the set of chips and went to the next. Punching it was a little messy, so I used two fingers to pop out two at a time. This worked pretty well, so I decided I'd try two at a time. I tried to push the chips through the pages but the effort was pointless. I pulled, twisted and struggled but two at the same time was just not feasible so I went back to the two finger tap.After 10 minutes of tapping these chips out it came time to organize them. I didn't realize how similar the majority of them looked until that moment. The red flagged, purple flagged, and blue flagged were easy enough. But then came all the action chips. Another 10 minutes of unpacking this monster.All organized and in the chip case. I decided to put it all back in the box. As the chip organizer slid back into the case with it's unnerving screech I realized something. I have to place the rest of the game under it. I have to hear both of these unearthly groans every time I open the case. I have to pull off two lids every time. Who the hell decided the rest of the game needed a second lid?I took matters into my own hands and got out a pair of scissors. Luckily I just got some from the store for trimming. I sliced into the thick plastic and the beast cut me back. Undeterred I went and got some real scissors. Fullmetal, recently sharpened monsters that would cut through even the thickest of plastic packaging. Another 10 minutes fighting with the plastic, cutting off the rise of the chip case I finally placed it in the box, resting nicely on the bottom and placed the bags, the placemats, the screens, and the rulebook safely on top, then let the lid groan and struggle back over it.I happened to have also bought the expansion. I tore of the plastic and pulled off the lid and listened to yet another deep unsettling grumble. Looking inside at the new set of chips to pop out I decided I'd just try one thing then let this one be unpackaged by a friend. I took my scissors and cut down the plastic container for the chips. I placed it at the bottom of the box and placed everything on top of it. I slid the lid back on and was surprised to find that everything fit just freaking fine without the chip case needing to be raised. Who the hell decided on the packaging?Overall, the game is pretty fun. It has a certain level of strategy to it, but it's no chess. The interactivity of it is pretty minor when you look at it compared to most other competitive games. The separate characters aid in one of the typical strategies (sending wounds, quickly sending gems, cycling your cards quickly, getting big money) and feel secondary to the effects of their cards. It could use a graphical card for the characters, maybe a sleeve or something to hold the character chips in that have a character graphic for flavor. Maybe just a card to have on your place mat with some flavor text on the back of it.I might have given this game a 4/5 had it not been for the packaging.

For those familiar with deckbuilders, this game replaces decks of cards with stacks of chips (smooth cardboard poker chips). It is a quick 2 to 4 player game and works well in those player counts. It is a rather big box to hold all the chips but it comes with great cardboard player mats, shields, and chip bags. The theme and artwork is nice if a bit bare since it has to all fit on the chips. The design is very functional and easy to read.For those not familiar with deckbuilders, you typically start with the same deck of cards as your opponent which you use to buy other cards which allow you to do special things on your turn like draw more cards, do special actions, or buy more cards like victory point cards. in Puzzle Strike (3rd edition is the latest), you use gem chips to buy action chips of different types to aid you in attacking your opponent with gems.The theme is sort of combat related and you also start with special power gems that represent your character instead of sharing the same exact starting chips. This game certainly takes deckbuilding into a different and interesting direction. Game is supposedly well balanced (probably for 2 player) but is a great game to casually setup and play with other gamers. It is a medium weight game for families but can work as a family game in some instances.

I love this game!All my friends are board game geeks, and yet I haven't found a one in recent years that really spoke to me. This is the one. Excellent turn based, deck building game, with everything you need built right in. No need for expansion decks or buying cards or anything. Also, it looks great. They nail the cartooinsh, super deformed Street Fighter look, with very cool character design. The game play is extremely fun with lots of room for variation.12 different characters (each with different "Street Fighter" skills), dozens of different chips (cards) and countless combinations. If you get bored of getting really good with one character, change the way you strategize and use a new one! I've played this for a few months now, and I'm still getting good at one character. There's also a stand alone sequel (Puzzle Strike Shadow) which is great, too!If you want a 2-4 person (3 is the sweet spot) game that should last about 20 min, this is greatIf you like board games and Street Fighter II this is greatIf you know what Puzzle Fighter is, this is GREAT!

This game is a lot of fun. I especially like playing it with multiple people, though I think it's slightly more aimed at 1v1 sort of situations.I wish it was a little cheaper, but you get a lot of dense cardboard. The game is sturdy and heavy.I know if you google it the maker has an online version that you can play in a limited fashion for free. It's a fun game. I don't know what else to say.

Everything about this product was as advertised. It's a lot of fun, especially when you have four players who already know the rules. The upgrades since second edition are all well-done, too. My only gripe is that there's a free(mium) online version and this is a $50 product, and even then, it's a pretty different experience from playing the game in person.

The game really is excellent and each time we play it we notice something new. It isn't just technically different each time. We've been playing every day for a couple weeks and each game has a totally different feel entirely. Also the games are low commitment, maybe lasting 10 minutes for us once we got the hang of the rules. That makes this a heavy hitting beer and pretzels game, with much the same emotional feel as the "fighting" games it aims to reproduce.

My wife and I love playing this together. If you like deckbuilding games like dominion but want something that plays differently this is a good one to check out. There is a lot more player interaction in this one, so there is a higher chance of people getting annoyed that you are actively messing up their game. But with the right attitude it can be a lot of fun.

Arrived on time, despite me screwing up my address, and is a super fun game. Play it with your most thoughtful friend.