Fluxx: A Fun, Quick, Filler Game
I first discovered Fluxx two years ago at Dragoncon while I was wondering around the open gaming room. There was a representative from Looney Labs (or Rabbits as the company refers to them) demoing some of their games and I happened to sit in just as they were busting out Fluxx. And I have to say, I was impressed!
The game itself is usually very quick, and it is certainly one of the easiest games I have ever played. That said, it is still an amazingly fun game! Fluxx is a card game where the rules are constantly, you guessed it, in flux. You start with one basic rule; Draw one card, Play one card. This seems easy enough, but once you get a few minutes into the game things start to get pretty complicated! But most games end in about 5-10 minutes depending on the number of players. It plays well for 2-6 and gets a bit bogged down with more players, but it is certainly do able. So, lets go over the components and then a general overview of how the game plays!
Well, considering that Fluxx is a card game, the only components for this game is a deck of cards. The cards are not thin but they aren't exactly thick either. They are smaller than your normal sized playing cards but they aren't so small that they become cumbersome either. The cards are color coded for the type of card they represent and this makes playing much easier. I have had my deck for about two years now and I haven't really seen any wear as of yet and the game gets played pretty often. The cards are quite good in my opinion.
The game play is where the game really shines though. In Fluxx there are 4 different types of cards. You have Rules, Keepers, Goals, and Actions. The goal of the game is to have the correct Keeper (or Keepers) in play that matches the Goal card that is currently in play. As mentioned before, you start the game with one basic rule, Draw one and Play one. Now, you are allowed to have as many Keepers in play as allowed at the time and only one Goal card in play at a time (both of these have exceptions which I will mention in a moment). So lets say you have the Night and Day goal card out, in order to win the game you would need both the Sun and Moon keepers in your play area. Pretty simple right? You can also have as many Rule cards in play as you want. This means that things can get very complicated, very fast. All rules, once played, go into effect immediately which gives the game a very hectic pace. When an action card is played you do exactly what the card says, usually something like draw a card, discard a rule, etc..
The only real downside to the game is that sometimes the game can get overly complicated if you have tons of rules in play that prohibit progress. For instance, sometimes you will have a rule that allows you to play four cards per turn, but at the same time have a rule that requires you to discard your hand at the end of your turn. Essentially, this leaves you playing one card a turn unless you have a rule that allows you to draw more than one card. You can see where things can get a bit muddled.
Overall, this is a very fun, wacky, and usually quick card game that almost anyone can get into. Games usually end at about the 10 minute mark, sometimes going over and sometimes going under. Fluxx is a simple card game that makes for a pretty good filler, or just a game to kill some time until the rest of your group arrives. It also makes for a good game to play with family or your significant other. And for about ten bucks you can't go wrong in my opinion. If you need a quick game that scales well for 2-6, I would certainly give Fluxx a shot!
The game itself is usually very quick, and it is certainly one of the easiest games I have ever played. That said, it is still an amazingly fun game! Fluxx is a card game where the rules are constantly, you guessed it, in flux. You start with one basic rule; Draw one card, Play one card. This seems easy enough, but once you get a few minutes into the game things start to get pretty complicated! But most games end in about 5-10 minutes depending on the number of players. It plays well for 2-6 and gets a bit bogged down with more players, but it is certainly do able. So, lets go over the components and then a general overview of how the game plays!
Well, considering that Fluxx is a card game, the only components for this game is a deck of cards. The cards are not thin but they aren't exactly thick either. They are smaller than your normal sized playing cards but they aren't so small that they become cumbersome either. The cards are color coded for the type of card they represent and this makes playing much easier. I have had my deck for about two years now and I haven't really seen any wear as of yet and the game gets played pretty often. The cards are quite good in my opinion.
The game play is where the game really shines though. In Fluxx there are 4 different types of cards. You have Rules, Keepers, Goals, and Actions. The goal of the game is to have the correct Keeper (or Keepers) in play that matches the Goal card that is currently in play. As mentioned before, you start the game with one basic rule, Draw one and Play one. Now, you are allowed to have as many Keepers in play as allowed at the time and only one Goal card in play at a time (both of these have exceptions which I will mention in a moment). So lets say you have the Night and Day goal card out, in order to win the game you would need both the Sun and Moon keepers in your play area. Pretty simple right? You can also have as many Rule cards in play as you want. This means that things can get very complicated, very fast. All rules, once played, go into effect immediately which gives the game a very hectic pace. When an action card is played you do exactly what the card says, usually something like draw a card, discard a rule, etc..
The only real downside to the game is that sometimes the game can get overly complicated if you have tons of rules in play that prohibit progress. For instance, sometimes you will have a rule that allows you to play four cards per turn, but at the same time have a rule that requires you to discard your hand at the end of your turn. Essentially, this leaves you playing one card a turn unless you have a rule that allows you to draw more than one card. You can see where things can get a bit muddled.
Overall, this is a very fun, wacky, and usually quick card game that almost anyone can get into. Games usually end at about the 10 minute mark, sometimes going over and sometimes going under. Fluxx is a simple card game that makes for a pretty good filler, or just a game to kill some time until the rest of your group arrives. It also makes for a good game to play with family or your significant other. And for about ten bucks you can't go wrong in my opinion. If you need a quick game that scales well for 2-6, I would certainly give Fluxx a shot!
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Josh Edwards
Board Game Reviews by Josh