FlipOut–A Family Game Review

You may remember some past reviews of Gamewright Games on Quirky Fusion. I enjoyed one of them so much that I included it on the Go-To Gift Guide for Birthdays and Other Special Occasions. We recently received a copy of one of Gamewright’s new games, FlipOut, and it didn’t disappoint.

FlipOut is a unique card game for up to five players. Each player has a rack with six double-sided cards. The cards have no words or numbers, just brightly colored patterns. The patterns may be the same on both sides of the card, or they may be different. You can only see the patterns on one side of the cards, but you can also see the patterns on the back of your opponents cards. The goal of the game is to make sets of 4, 5, or 6 cards in a row of the same pattern. To get there, each player can make two moves per turn:

1. Flip – Flip any one card in any of the card holders so that the back of the card becomes the front.
2. Switch – Switch the position of any two cards in your holder or anyone else’s holder.
3. Swap 1 – Swap any one of your cards for one of another player’s cards. No flipping! You get what you see here.
4. Swap 2 – Swap any two adjacent, same-color cards from your hold with any two adjacent, same-color cards from another player’s holder. Once again, no flipping.
5. Score – Take any 4, 5, or 6 adjacent, same-color cards from your holder and add them to your pile.
6. Swipe – Take any 4, 5, or 6 adjacent, same-color cards (facing you) from another player’s holder, give one card to that player and add the rest to your scoring pile.

If you’re playing a two-player game, players can also draw a card from the pile and swap it out for a card in your holder.

The game ends when there aren’t enough cards for all of the players to maintain six in their holders.

Here are the things I love about this game:

• No reading involved and, although it’s aimed at ages 8+, can be enjoyed by even younger kids. It’s also a great game for groups with language/cultural differences.
• All of the parts are excellent quality.
• Game play is unique.
• It allows for five players instead of just four.

A few things I don’t love:

• It’s very difficult to draw cards without looking at both sides, especially for kids (and my husband).
• Because all of the cards are in play, it can be challenging to play with any real strategy, especially in a two-player game.

House Rules and Modification Suggestions:

• Consider drawing cards from the middle of the deck to avoid “peeking.”
• For older kids, allow each person to designate one or two cards each round that are “untouchable.” They can place some sort of marker (i.e. a penny) in front of those cards. This would allow for more strategic play.
• Allow only matches of 5 or 6 for a more challenging game.

Bottom line:

FlipOut is a colorful and fun game that can be enjoyed by players with a wide range of ages and skills. Many younger children will be able to pick up the rules and play independently after few rounds on a team with an older player. Gamers who really enjoy plotting out strategic moves will probably find FlipOut frustrating, since anyone can steal your cards at any time. That said, it’s a great choice for families, kids. and anyone in the mood for casual, but fun gameplay.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of the game, but no other compensation. There was no promise of a positive review and the opinions contained in this post are my own.

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