MindWare Qwirkle Board Game

This has quickly become a family favorite! I would call it a mix between sudoku and dominos where you have to match colors and/or shapes without repeating any color or shape in a row. If youre lucky enough to get all 6 of either a shape or color in one turn, you get the maximum points which is called a Qwirkle. There is a lot of strategy involved and you have to look in all directions to make sure you are getting the most points possible. A couple of times weve noticed that someone had actually repeated a shape or color and no one noticed for a couple of turns which was quite funny, but we kept on and finished anyway. There are 6 shapes and 6 colors with 3 of every tile so the possibilities are endless!! It takes about 20-30 minutes to play depending on how fast or slow some of the players are, so it doesnt take forever. Weve found even some young kids are able to pick up on this although they might need a little bit of assistance. Great family game!

I was trying to find a game to play with a client who has dementia and ran across this in an article. After I bought it I tested it out with my kids (25, 24, 19 and 11) and myself (47). We had so much fun!! It is one of those games that can be played at different levels. We started getting quite inventive on where and when to play to maximize our points and block our opponents. I then played with my client. She and I did not keep score. We just made the chains with either shapes or colors and added wherever she first recognized a play. No trying to strategize where to build for future etc. We also played with both of our tiles up so we could talk about the best places to play. She likes this game and actually remembers having played before and wants to play again. The rules have to be re-learned but the fun remains. For one more note, we had a group of my daughters friends over and four of us played Quirkle. They were all 19 - 22. That got pretty cutthroat <lol> They all want to play again. I HIGHLY recommend this game. I think Im going to buy a 2nd one so more than 4 can play together (We played with 5 first night and it does work too).

I have been enlightened. Throughout my childhood and for the majority of my adult life I was resigned to the notion that the board gaming landscape was sparse and barren. Populated only by a few unenticing, played out old names like Life, Scrabble and Monopoly (Which to this day, Im certain has never seen a match played to completion). However, my eyes were opened by a new wave of innovative, engaging titles like Pandemic, Small World, 7 Wonders and many more. Ive been a true believer and tabletop enthusiast ever since. Alas there is one big problem... Most people I know have the same narrow minded approach to board games as I once did. It just isnt easy to get a group together. The heavy fantasy and sci fi themes of my favorite games only serve to compound that difficulty as it seems to create an illusion of complexity and carries with it the stigma of intense nerdiness. I can see the eyes start to glaze over when I attempt to broach the subject. Whatever shall I do? Enter Qwirkle! This game relies on such a simple concept of matching colors and shapes that it would be easy to dismiss this as something childish, certainly beneath that of any respectable gamer. But that is the beauty of it. It dumps the polarizing themes that tend to put newcomers off and the rules are so straightforward that the game can be explained in just a few sentences. What little confusion one might have is usually resolved within a couple of turns and suddenly a world of strategy begins to unfold as you subtly try to mislead, block, and steal combinations from the clutches of your beloved opponents. It is truly a wonderful tool for family bonding and better still, it serves as a gateway game to pull loved ones into the world of table top games. That was my fiendish plan all along and the reason I even bought this game to begin with. With little effort, I was able to coax my niece, dad and step mom to give it a try. The result was a super fun evening of laughter and surprisingly stiff competition. I narrowly secured a victory with my last move and that alone is a testament to the excellent game design. The game was so captivating and easy to learn that there was virtually no handicap for newcomers. If you would like to dip your toes into board games or perhaps coerce a particularly resistant individual to give them a try, I cannot recommend Qwirkle enough.

I used Quirkle for entertainment with out of town guests and family.

I had never heard of this game before and we love board games. My Aunt introduced us and even Grandma enjoyed it. I ordered it when I got back home.

Too many pieces for traveling, but a lot of fun if others visit you

Good stuff

There’s a lot to love about this game, but it won’t be for everyone. HIGHLIGHTS: • No major setup required. • Very easy to learn (and teach). • Quick rounds—great for fast games. • Some strategy is required. • Superb for travel; it’s easy to pack. WHAT I DON’T LIKE: • Not much complexity. • Unexciting design of the tiles. A great game for kids, and it’s a good option if you’re looking to involve both kids and adults. It’s super quick to set up, the rules are easy to understand, and it’s fast enough so that it can be played once or multiple times. It’s a great option if you’re looking for a quick, casual game to enjoy with people of different ages. Ultimately though, it might be a bit too simple for some groups. We’re in an era of FANTASTIC board/tabletop games. There is a lot of competition, and there are many, many games deserving of your attention. For that reason, it’s tough to fully recommend this, because other games might be more worthy of your time. To put it another way, I don’t know if it would hold everyone’s attention for an entire game night, or for a family evening while traveling. It’s great for a few rounds, but there simply isn’t much depth to it. The bottom line? It’s good, but make sure to consider other games as well.

Love playing this with kids and adults

Five year old grandson loves playing the game!! My 85 year old Mom enjoys it too!