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Matthew –
Having seen the No Rolls Barred playthrough of this on YouTube, I thought it looked like fun. I took this to a family gathering yesterday evening, and I acted as a GM to get up and running. Setup is a breeze, and everyone from my teenage nephew to me in my thirties to my 70 year old parents had a go at the mini games, agonised over how to stack the next peril piece, and kept going back in for one more go until we reached a successful end in the first scenario – but even so there are still many unused cards so there’s plenty more in this scenario alone.The cards, pieces for the mini games and even the box are all very sturdy and reassuringly chunky – seriously the box weighs a ton – and although there are only three scenarios there are multiple paths through each, and just changing the turn order ensures that everyone gets a new experience with new mini-games that they haven’t tried before. The time dial for each scenario also adds more variation as each card has a “day” and “night” version. The line drawing artwork sells the scenarios nicely.If I’d taken Scrabble or Monopoly or any of the other usual suspects round, it might have kept a few of us entertained while my parents drifted off, my dad would have ended up having a nap, my nephew would have gone on his phone and me and my mum would have ended up talking politics for hours on end – but instead all seven of us stayed around the table fully engaged from landing on the island to successfully escaping from…well, that would be telling…For more adventurous gamers, there is also the possibility of making your own scenarios. What Next? is a game system as much as a game in and of itself, and you could soon knock together new scenarios making use of the existing mini games or adding ones of your own. People have been doing this with the vastly more complicated DnD ruleset for decades.Should you buy this? Yep.
Miles M. –
This is such a great board game! We’ve only played through one of the three stories (and probably only seen about half that story has to offer) and we’re hyped to experience the rest.The first thing that stands out is how thoughtfully made this game is. The quality of the box, mini games (yes, there are mini games!) and pieces really shows. It seems to be made with genuine love and care.After reading some instructions and being slightly overwhelmed with various systems and mechanics I was very pleasantly surprised that it’s really quite straightforward when you actually start playing. The game has a simple flow to it and you can jump in fairly quickly and get going, referring to the rules as and when things crop up.I used to absolutely love choose your own adventure books when I was younger and this is a great way to introduce that to a younger audience (but is still a great time for adults). It’s a cooperative game, so no family competitive drama to be had which is a plus too!The goal is to work together through a story, making choices as you go and playing various mini games and challenges as things unfold in the story. Some of the games are really creative and entertaining and there are some genuinely tense moments when it’s all on you to avoid failing a challenge (and the consequences that come with that!).When things go wrong (and they will!) you have to add a “peril piece” to your collection. These essentially need to stack up on top of each other. They are odd shapes so some careful consideration and placement is necessary to avoid failure. If this tower collapses, its game over for everyone!We had a great time with our first adventure and we’re looking forward to playing some more with our friends and family soon. Perfect for a Christmas get together!My only issue with the game is that the table you play on is very important. It needs to be big enough for some of the mini games to really work, but also sturdy so you don’t knock the peril pieces over when you get up to go to the loo! It won’t work on the floor or on a small coffee table for example but if you’ve got the place for it I can’t recommend the game enough.
Meloni –
Wow! What a great ‘box of game’ for under £16 (on offer). Good quality components (the box is heavy) & it’s well thought out – everything packs away neatly & fits the insert perfectly. Colour palette lovely & design great. It looks & feels good. Perfect for playing with family & friends. Light hearted & fun. Simple to set up, but if unsure there are many videos online to help with set up & play. 3 stories (it’s a card based, not a board based game) – all co-op, you win or lose together. It’s an adventure. I can heartily recommend and would definitely grab it at this current price if you want a game to play at get togethers. 5 stars 🙂
Kris O’D –
Board games are big in our house. We play either 2 player (me and my wife) or with 3 young children, 3 players with the father in law, or occasionally we throw a games night with a few friends.This game is one of those games that everybody can enjoy, be they serious strategists or not into games at all. It gets people laughing, talking and involved, and is light and fast enough that it doesnt dominate the evening.It has dextrous elements (much to my dismay as I am infamously bad at Jenga and the like!) like stacking a tower or flicking a puck to try and land it in a certain place, but it doesnt take itself too seriously and this is great for interactivity, kids, and creating laughter.It has storytelling elements as well, like a choose your own adventure novel, but is nowhere near as deep. It wont put off people who might see that as too nerdy, and will instead get everyone around the room talking and weighing in their opinions.The component quality is surprisingly good here, with a nice velvet bag, delightful magnetic flap box, and soft rubber-feel ‘peril’ pieces, makes the game feel really premium for the steal of the price I got it for.Its not the BEST game in the world, and doesnt have incredible replayability once youve played through it a few times. Also, you would struggle to play it while traveling on a train for example, because of the dexterity elements, but it is in a medium sized box so is ok for traveling and playing in a hotel or bnb etc.Overall, a must buy if you like party games and want to entertain a small group of people. It would be great for families around xmas time.
pippais awusm –
Really great game. Many options depending on your mood. 3 different stories to follow all with several different outcomes. Average game is about half an hour to an hour, and can be high energy, if decision making is difficult for your group. But if everyone can decide on the next step to take the game will run smoothly. Really enjoyed this game. The box is really well designed and the pieces that come with it are good quality and easy to use.
Uber-babe –
This is essentially 3 games in one, 3 stories to play through. It took us the majority of a day to complete the first one, as due to errors in our progression through the story we had to start again several times. This is worth doing! You get more play value from the game and in life we often do have to start again so it’s good, I’m really glad we planned a relaxed day at home to complete it however. We haven’t done the next two games. It’s essentially a card game using the same accessories pack, very clever, and at the £15 I paid I am delighted with the value of this game, I may even buy more to gift to other children as the price is so good. The box is really good quality with a magnetic closure, it feels good quality. I’m not sure how it will be to “replay” in the future, but as a mother and son activity it is a winner. Great for single parent families where you can sometimes struggle to find games which are fun with only 2 players. I hope that more versions of this game come out. I have not tried playing it with a group of children though after we have completed it together we may wait a while then play with a group of children to see how that works; you have to vote on how to proceed with decisions based on majority or person holding the card so will have to see how that goes. It’s a good game to encourage reading practice as each player reads their card turn by turn. Can be frustrating when their is a loss (which may seem unfair sometimes) but it’s great for children to develop cooperation skills and emotional regulation if this is a goal too. Definitely worth sticking to the rules and accepting defeat when it is called for or this skill development will be missed. Allow plenty of time so you are not rushed and can really enjoy it, we had little breaks through the day. Really felt like quality time.
Glenn CJ Luxon –
Great quality, box is heavy feels expensive, and really fun gameplay that’s different each time