Crazy Creatures of Dr. Gloom
Overall Rating: 8/10
Age: 7+
GLAM Age Range: 7-Adult
Number of Players: 2-4
Playing Time: 20 min
Publisher: Stronghold Games
Complexity: Low
Available At: Amazon.com
Quick Take: Strategically play your creature cards so you end up with the fewest points. You're in Dr. Gloom's lab and are taking turns playing creature cards on his creature machines. This game plays so fast, it's a very simple premise, and it's rather addicting to play because the rounds go so quickly. You'll find yourself saying "just one more game!" over and over again.
How to Play: Your goal is to end with the fewest points. In a 2-3 player game players start with 12 cards and in a 4 player game you start with 10 cards each. Eight cards are dealt to a reserve deck which is placed beside Dr. Gloom's machine cards, which all start with the plus side up. Each turn you play one card. When a machine is plus side up, you can play either the same number or higher as the card on the bottom of the pile. When a machine is minus side up, you play the same number or lower. The 6 and 1 cards have mutation symbols on them and if a machine is plus side up, you can play a 1 on top of a 6 and then play continues up from there and you do the opposite if the machine is minus side up. If you play a card that matches the card beneath it you may either make an opponent draw a card from the reserve deck or you may flip a machine from the plus to minus side or vice versa. A round ends when a player plays the last card in their hand, then everyone else gets one last turn to play a card. Or a round ends when everyone has passed and no one can play. Play as many rounds as you have players in the game. The scoring is determined by the skulls on the tops of cards. Count up the number of skulls and that's how many points you have. If you have no creature cards left at the end of a round you may subtract three points from your total score. Whoever has the lowest points at the end of the game is the winner!
Variations: If you're playing with younger kids you can nix the draw pile and just have players take turns playing their cards on the stacks with the option of switching a machine from a plus sign to a minus sign if they play a double of a card.
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