Thursday, November 5, 2015

Reviews

George Jaros Review 

Pentoggle scored an 8 out of 10!!


Board Game Quest Review

We received a very positive review from Brian Biewer!! 


Cards n Chit Review

More positive feedback on Pentoggle! Check out this podcast from game reviewers Andrew Spindler and Adrian Mabee.




 Blind reviews performed by individuals around the country. 


The mechanics of the game are sound, very sound. I was surprised at the nature of the choices that I was forced to make when playing the game. I expected many rounds to be spent waiting for favorable block draws, but that was not the case at all. Most rounds I discovered a viable placement option and found that because of the shape of the blocks laying out blocks for future scoring placements was the key to victory. The game encouraged forward thinking and spatial reasoning that surprised and pleased me. Tracing lines through the empty spaces had me sketching out routes in my mind throughout the game thinking through the likelihood of whether a specific placement would be available. Once I described this tactic to my children they were able to do the same, with relative ease. I am not sure what cognitive skill to which this activity is related, but I got the sense that they were learning something new and potentially valuable as they played.

The multiple dimensions added wonderful complexity that certainly made this game unique, challenging, and engaging. I became obsessed (often to my detriment) to setting upon scoring strings that would score vertically and horizontally. There is no doubt that savvy play can be used to set up these scoring opportunities; however, I learned that the opportunities were rare. This made them more satisfying. It also became clear that the careful placement of a few blocks could score a lot of points. In the same regard, a careless placement (especially late in the game) could set up an opponent for a big score.

This game was a big hit over the holidays. It found its way to table many times; often without my involvement. This, for me, is the mark of a collection essential..."
            - Patrick K, USA


My kids played it first and then the handful of kids who came over at lunch. They all loved it! Can I buy a copy?”

            – Lanica K,       Minnesota, USA 

“I really like the concept!  I've played stuff like Qwirkle in the past and I thought it was a really interesting spin on the genre.  Well done!”

            -Bill L,        New Jersey, USA

"The ability to score and build vertically as well as horizontally is outstanding. This game, in my opinion, is much better than Qwirkle. It's a great, straight forward strategy game. My wife and I both loved it.”

            -Shawn S,       New Colony, Texas, USA



“This game is better than Qwirkle and I really liked the three dimensional gameplay which increased the level of strategy. I would recommend this to friends.”
            -Brad R,        Magnolia, Delaware, USA

“While playing Pentoggle my kids were having fun and unknowingly practicing math. A great game for any family or classroom.”
            -Josh M,      Moore, Oklahoma, USA

“I really enjoyed the game because of the stacking.”
            -Steve F,      Rifle, Colorado, USA

“I enjoyed the fact that the kids picked up the game really quick and even my 4 year old was playing with us and enjoyed it. The rules made sense and it didn't take long to get the hang of them. I would recommend it as a great family game. It is a game where the older players can focus more on the scoring and the younger player can focus on finding places to play.”
            -Andy P,      Argos, Indiana, USA

“The kids really enjoyed it and our 13 year old said it was more fun than he expected. I would concur with that sentiment.”
            -Ted D,       Cherry Valley, Ontario, Canada
 

Monday, October 26, 2015

New Box Top


Pentoggle - The Basics


Scoring Example


Game Rules

Pentoggle History

Our Goal: Make a better abstract tile matching game!

Development began over 2 years ago with this goal in mind. The design team reseach showed that all tile matching games available on the market shared a few common themes. 
1.) Nearly all allowed scoring only in a single direction (e.g. across or horizontally)
2.) All had square or rectangular tiles

With this in mind, new scoring methods and tile shapes were explored in an attempt to break away of single direction scoring. Ultimately, hexagonal tiles were selected and stacking incorporated as a means of enhancing game play and scoring opportunities. From these basic premises Pentoggle was born.


Pentoggle consists of 75 colored tiles (red, orange, yellow, green, and blue) with the numbers 1 - 5There are 3 tiles of every color / number combination as well as 5 Wild tiles. When played, Wild tiles represent any color / number combination as selected by the player placing the tile. The goal of the game is to score the most points by strategically placing your tiles next to other tiles. Pentoggle masterfully balances luck (tiles are drawn from a bag) and strategy (where should I place my tiles to score the most points) and is enjoyed by kids and adults alike.


Early Prototype



Final Design




Sample Game Start

Play 1: red 3, 2, 1 = 6 points














Play 2: red 5, 4 with red 3, 2, 1 = 15 points
10 additional points for completing the series
Total points = 25
Add locking blocks on first (head) and last (tail) tiles












Play 3: blue 4, yellow 4 with red 4 = 12 points












Play 4: orange 4, green 4 with yellow 4, blue 4, and red 4 = 20 points
10 additional points for completing the series
Total points = 30
Add locking block on top tile













Play 5: blue 5, yellow 5 with red 5 = 15 points (vertical)
yellow 5 with yellow 4 = 9 points (horizontal)
blue 5 with blue 4 = 9 points (horizontal)
Total = 33 points













Play 6: orange 2, yellow 2, green 2, Wild (as blue 2) with red 2 = 8 points
Note: Wilds have zero point value
10 additional points for completing the series
Total = 18 points
Add locking blocks on last tile