Wonky Review – No Room for Squares
From Flip 7 publisher The OP, Wonky is a combination shedding/dexterity game in which players race to get rid of all their cards by stacking coloured blocks on top of one another. Setup is a breeze, with a small booklet outlining the handful of rules in an easy to digest format – first place all nine blocks within reach of all players, shuffle and deal out 7 cards to each player and then you’re underway. Each card in Wonky dictates which blocks a player has access to in terms of size and colour, while other cards allow players to skip a turn or reverse the direction of play. Some cards combine these, allowing a player to stack a block and force the next player to draw another card or skip their turn. If this sounds familiar, Uno momento por favor.
This would be straightforward enough if not for the blocks themselves, which is where the title derives from. See, these squares aren’t square – they’re ‘wonky’, making stacking them far more nail-biting than it otherwise would be. Causing the stack to topple over forces the active player to draw three new cards and then play a card immediately to start a new stack, with a 3 second rule always in effect; if the tower stands for 3 seconds, it’s now the next players responsibility. When a player is unable to play one of their cards because the corresponding blocks are already in the stack, they draw from the deck until they reveal a playable card. There’s a bit of strategy in terms of leaving yourself easier cards to play for your final few, but those tend to be the most popular pieces for other players as well, resulting in being left with an unplayable card as your final and getting stuck with a random draw. Further shaking things up are the previously mentioned Action cards which turn the screws onto other players, making them draw extra cards or skipping their turn completely. These cannot however be played as a final card, so players need to judiciously decide when to spend an Action card in preparation for their final turn, as there’s nothing more aggravating than being stuck on your last card with the requisite block already taunting you from the stack.
While it works at two, Wonky is a more enjoyable time with higher player counts of four to six. I did get a sense each game though that it can run a bit long for what it is, as certain card combinations making it far more difficult to get rid of a final card and take the win. The starting had size of seven is easily dropped to five or six to offset a longer game as well, so for groups willing to play without adhering strictly to rules-as-written, Wonky is malleable to a groups desired experience. In fact, in order to go above six players it’s recommended to drop the starting hand to ensure there’s an adequate draw pile. For a short time, there was an adult drinking game version of Wonky available, which is easy enough to implement here again as punishment for knocking the tower over – take three cards and a drink, you clumsy mug. Of course, Wonky is a riotous hit with kids who delight in each tumble of the blocks not caused by them, grinning eagerly as they skip your turn, or stick you with drawing a card when you’re just about to close out. The hierarchy of block placement is easily grasped and within a round or two they’ll be trying to ensure they make the stack nigh impossible to put any remaining blocks on.
Wonky is a trifle of a game, something you can play in a short amount of time and has components sturdy enough that it could be tossed in a bag and played almost anywhere, although some card sleeves might be in order if you’re frequenting sandy or dusty areas. It’s got a good balance of luck and dexterity that makes it anybody’s game at family functions or when it’s kids vs grown-ups, making Wonky an easy recommend for a birthday present or something to trot out at Christmas or a Barbecue in the park.
Wonky was reviewed using a copy kindly provided by the publisher.
