Game Giveaway: Aquarius and Martian Fluxx
22 Sep
Over at The Homeschool Classroom, I just posted a review of the Fluxx family of games from Looney Labs. We’ve loved these games for years and I really enjoy watching JediBoy think his way through them. In part, I said…
You can play a rule card that says “Draw 2″ and then everyone draws two cards and plays one. If the next player lays down “Play 4,” the next player draws two and plays four. There are also action cards that let you search through the deck, pass your hand, remove rule cards, and make all kinds of other changes. There are also “keeper” cards – green cards like “Cookies” or “Peace” that you play in front of you to keep – and pink “goal” cards that tell you, at that moment in time, what cards you need on the table to win. (“Cookies and Milk” is always a favorite!) Really, the game is that easy to explain. The rest of the rules and changes are all written on the cards.
You can head over to The Homeschool Classroom to read more about Fluxx… go ahead, I’ll wait!
We were lucky enough to receive two games to review this month from Looney Labs. One was the brand-new Martian Fluxx, due to hit stores this Friday.
This is a fun new theme for the Fluxx family of games. In this game – and the earlier Zombie Fluxx – there’s the addition of a new type of card: the Creeper. When you draw a Creeper, you immediately put it down on the table in front of you and draw a new card to replace it. For most of the goals, you cannot win if you have a Creeper in front of you, though in true Fluxx fashion there are plenty of cards that circumvent that rule! In Zombie Fluxx, all the Creepers are Zombies, but in Martian Fluxx… the Creepers are pathetic Humans!
In Martian Fluxx, the players are the Martians, developing new technology like the Ray Gun or the Space Modulator, and it is the Humans who can get in the way of their Goals.
The game doesn’t play much differently from Zombie Fluxx… but since we love Zombie Fluxx, we love Martian Fluxx too. It’s great for thinking skills and learning how to talk like a Martian and abduct cows! Lots of crazy family fun.
We also had the chance to play the 10th anniversary re-release of Aquarius. I can’t believe we’d never played this game before! It is a great family game and even comes with a whole sheet of ideas for tailoring the game to the level of younger kids.
In Aquarius, the goal is to lay cards onto the table, not unlike dominoes, trying to connect seven images of your secret symbol together. You might have the goal of fire, and try to lay down cards that help you connect seven fire images together.
The game can be as easy as that, or for older kids you can start to add in some action cards that let you switch cards, change goals, pass hands, and so on. The ideas for adjusting the level of gameplay are printed right on the rulesheet in the box, which I think is a fabulous idea!
My kids loved Aquarius! Even BabyGirl, at 2 1/2, could follow the matching part of the game. JediBoy, at 7, jumped right in with all the action card rules. The game is light, and easy, and fast, so it’s a good one to squeeze in between other activities. Dinner will be ready in 15 minutes? Let’s play a few hands of Aquarius. We’re leaving for karate in 5 minutes? Just enough time for one game. And it’s pretty, too!
Do they sound good? Want to play them with your own kids? You’re in luck – Looney Labs sent me an EXTRA demo copy of each game to give away. All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me if you’re interested in Martian Fluxx, Aquarius, or both, and next Tuesday I’ll draw two winners!
Oh, ME, ME, ME, ME!!!!!
We LOVE Flux and I’ve never tried Aquarius.
Ohhh we love games here. Either one would be wonderful.
My people would like to challenge your people to more Fluxx.
We could use a Martian deck!
We’ve never played Fluxx, but it sounds fabulous. We’d love to give it a go. Thanks!
Fun! I’d love Aquarius, because we have Flux (although not Martian flux, so I guess I’d take either happily). Our favorite game from Looney Labs are the Icehouse pieces.
I have never heard of Aquarius, but based on your review, it would be great to add to our collection, though we’d probably enjoy Martian Fluxx too! Thanks for the chance to win!
We have the original Fluxx game and LOVE it! We would love either game if we were lucky enough to win! thank you!
They both sound great! Aquarius would be something my younger kids could get into.