Straight from the campfires, tents, and outhouses of Fireside Games comes a brand-new dice game called Bears! The perhaps inopportunely timed end-of-summer release has a woodsy camping theme that makes me think of s'mores, a crackling fire, and hard-ass feeling of logs and pebbles under my butt. Mmmm. Too bad s'mores weather is almost over. I mean, except for that inevitable dangerous snowy evening when I decide that s'mores can be made in my fireplace because June is just so far away. But earlier this year, it seemed a lot more timely and exciting at Origins when I first heard about the game. Fireside Games had a booth where one little demo set of Bears! was available, preorders were being taken, and people were elbowing to see what all the fuss was about. Okay, that was mostly me elbowing. But that's only because I never did get to demo the game, even on my eighth stop over at the booth. Finally, when my elbowing and glares failed to payoff, I took the plunge and preordered a copy sight-unseen.
This is a review of how that gamble turned out.
Play Scenario:
This review is
based on about ten different plays of the game, each being about 15 seconds or less. Some of the plays were with four players, others with two players.
Game Objective:
It's not just you versus your opponents, it's you versus bears...and your opponents. Make fight-or-flight dice pairing decisions in a big hurry in order to escape (or crush) the bear population. You, as a poor camper, have been startled by bears, and must decide, in a big damn hurry, whether to grab yer gun and shoot 'em (hope you don't miss!), or run for your life. Oh yeah, and there's always the chance you'll get caught snoozing in your sleeping bag by the bears, in which case you're about the be shredded into fluffy down ribbons. Dice grabbing determines your fate.
Turn Mechanics & Game Play:
Twenty dice are rolled in the center of the table, with each player concurrently rolling five personal dice. The moment the dust has settled, all players get grabby trying to pair the community dice, which have either bears or tents on them, with their own personal dice.
On the personal dice, players will find a gun, running camper, or sleeping bag. Bears can be paired with guns, meaning you're looking to shoot yourself a b'ar. The running man and snoozing sleeping bag can only be paired with tents, meaning you're hoping to avoid the bears.
Each round ends when either all the bear dice OR the tent dice have been snatched, thus prompting an apoplectic shout of BEARS! by one or more panicky players. If the bears are left, and you're caught in your sleeping bag, then you're going to lose points. If everyone chased off the bears with their shotguns and you slept through the attack, then you are going to earn big points. Slacker chicken.
Points are totaled: 1 point for each bear you shot (TENT + BEAR), 2 points for each bear you outran (RUNNER + TENT), 5 points if you slept through a bear attack and the bears fled (SLEEPING BAG + TENT + no bear dice left in community pool), or -2 points if you got eaten in your sleeping bag (SLEEPING BAG + TENT + only bear dice left in the community pool). People swear. No one likes to be bear trail mix. And then the next round begins. The rounds continue until someone reaches 50 or 100 points, which doesn't take very long at all.
Out of the Box:
This is a sweet little travel-friendly package. The tall, slender box has charming cartoonish artwork, and is made well. The ads for another Fireside Games release, Castle Panic, that have been plastered all over the inner box didn't even bother me much. Inside the box is pretty much just what you'd expect: A whole slew of dice, tiny rules pamphlet, and a couple scoring cards. Simple. Straight-forward. Probably they didn't need such a tall box, but I enjoy it because it can be used as a dice cup for your many rolls. Some thoughtful creativity clearly went into the design, and I really appreciate how portable the box is. Kudos, Fireside Games!
Praise:
+Shazam! What was that? Was that just another round? Man, this is one fast-paced game. Need to fill five or ten minutes while someone's answering a phone call, greeting the pizza dude, or using the bathroom? Break out Bears! +Portability. True to its theme, this might be one of my top game picks to pack in my camping bag. Or for a picnic, party, long wait in movie theater lines, etc. This game can be played on just about any stationary small surface. Car trips and airplane rides aside, this game will travel really well.
+Cute and humorous theme. The whole funny premise of being eaten by bears, and running from your tent keeps the game light enough so you almost forget that you're getting stupidly railroaded by grabby friends.
+Wide appeal. Serious gamers, party gamers, non-gamers, and everybody in between can easily jump into this game and enjoy it. I could probably play this with my mom. Ugh. But drunk people--and trust me, I have a little insight on this--probably won't do so well, and will just be eaten by bears. I hope bears like tartinis.
+Challenge. For all its silliness, there really is a serious challenge for players to exercise quick-thinking strategy. Just when you think it pays to be the fastest, you realize that sometimes hanging back is the best strategy. Players who care enough to put some thought into strategy will enjoy some creative, if lightly consequential, approaches to play.
+Works with different numbers of players. The game flows well and is equally interesting, I think, with either two or four players. Many will suggest that four players is best since it creates a party atmosphere and gets people laughing and competitive. But, I think with two players, the head-to-head style is still a lot of fun and does not suffer from lack of competition. Somehow, the game is more serious with two players, or at least it is when TGHITW and I play.
Complaints:
-I will start with the obvious: It's a dice game. There's a whole lot of chance involved, even though one can have unlimited rerolls of personal dice. Chance is so strong, there really can be no true mastery of this game, and your success is left to the fates. Mostly. -Simple strategy. Once players have rolled just a few times, the strategy of stockpiling RUNNING DUDE + TENT becomes an obvious no-lose strategy. You can't win strictly on this combination, but it will get you far. Yes, the strategy can go deeper, but many players won't take it any further than that. And then you risk getting bored. Fast.
-Yes, it's just dice in a box. This isn't exactly Agricola or Twilight Struggle.
-Based on our assessment that the four-player party atmosphere is where this game shines, it's a pity that more than four can't play. Might there be a multi-player expansion idea in the works? Getting six, eight, or more people involved could make this riotous.
-Honestly, I don't think I could get endless hours of enjoyment here.The game will get pulled out now and then for a little peppy infusion of gaming laughs, but this is not solid enough to be the backbone of your evening of gaming fun.
Overall:
This is a light, fun game to tote out for some levity and great summer fun. Snowy weather, hopefully, won't detract from the summery theme, and certainly has a mass appeal. I will, no doubt, get hours of laughs out of this wacky, manic, frenzied game. And I'm grateful for a new portable selection for my tote bag. But its poetic simplicity keeps it from being anything truly brilliant. Don't expect too much from this game, and you won't be disappointed. It's pretty much dice in a box.Yes, I think the game is a fun addition to any gamer's collection for its quickness, levity, and broad appeal. Not every game can be Diplomacy or Dungeon Lords. There is a place for simple games like this, and I'm glad it fills a certain gaming niche. I'll proudly play Bears! for some time to come, and I am patting myself on the back (whap, whap, whap!) for taking a chance on this game. The reason it doesn't receive a higher grade is only because it's dice in a box. And it's $20. At a lower price, the bargain value may make it even more attractive to a wider audience. Plus, I have to reserve the highest grades for games that have a rich complexity and brilliance to them. Is this game brilliant? Maybe not. But is it fun? Most certainly.
Pimpability:
Not so much. I mean, one could get cutesy with little tents, or bear minis, and such. But really, no one's going to put too much effort into pimping this game. It's just fine and simple on its own.Game: Bears!
Designer: Anne Marie De Witt
Published by: Fireside Games, 2011
Players: 2-4
Playing Time: 10 minutes
AIBG (that's us!) Age Recommendations: 8+
Average Retail Price: $20
Grade: B-
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