Ricochet Robots

Who doesn’t like robots, especially mini robots that move around a colorful game board . . .

Ricochet Robots is a puzzle-style board game in which robots are moved around the board to select locations in as few moves as possible. Robots in this game have strict limited movements. This game was designed by Alex Randolph and was first published in Germany in 1999 as Rasende Roboter. Rio Grande games then published an English version: Ricochet Robots. What else . . . oh, it just so happens to be one of my favorite games of all time.

Ricochet Robots is always a spot of contention at game nights when it’s brought to the table. It’s inevitable that half the group loves the game and is excited to play it, while the other half is less than thrilled that people want to play it again. I am in the first category, in that I never get sick of Ricochet Robots. I love playing it. I’ve been playing it over a decade now. I still have fun playing in groups or with my husband at home. Our copy is so well loved, it’s on the brink of breaking down each time we play. The images on the discs are faded, but that doesn’t deter our enthusiasm.

I have a pretty good idea why some people don’t like Ricochet Robots. I know from (fellow host) Damon’s perspective, he thinks Ricochet Robots is not so much a board game as it is a series of puzzles to solve over rounds. Others think they have a severe disadvantage when playing the game as people who have played before can solve the problems faster and tend to win more easily. I don’t disagree that this game is weighted on the side of the players who play more often. My argument against it is . . . isn’t that typical of any game you play?

Finally, after speaking with several friends of mine who don’t care for this game, a clear picture formed as to why . . . Most of them state their memory as the problem. In Ricochet Robots, you memorize a solution path. Sometimes, as you may or may not know, the paths can get up as high as the 20’s or 30’s before someone can reach a solution. Some people just don’t have the patience to keep at it when the goal is this high. Others can become annoyed having to repeat the path over and over in their head before the timer runs out. Sometimes it’s just annoying that a solution is not clear. Sometimes, it takes minutes to even see a solution. This can get on people’s nerves too.

I’ll admit, there have been times we’ve played where a solution has taken us several minutes to find, but that only adds to the reasons I love the game, not the opposite. I think this is because I like to push my brain to think outside the box. I like to try and be smarter today then I was the day before. Problem solving is another way of helping me get there.

Another reason I love this game is that it has a ton of player interaction. Because you are trying to get a shorter solution than other players, the competitive stakes go up, as do the nerves. Once a person calls out a solution, this adds even more urgency and tension to the game because now you have a set amount of time to come up with a better solution than they did. It’s the kind of gut-wrenching, higher-pulse, grab-onto-the-edge-of-your-seat-tension that I love. Ricochet Robots gives me this tension every time I play. Who doesn’t love that in a game?

The last reason to check out this amazing robot game is because everyone at game night can play it. You can have as many people as you want standing around the board coming up with a solution. This means nobody gets left out and everyone can participate in the fun. Not to mention, the game doesn’t break if somebody decides they want to stop playing and join another game or vice versa.

If you are looking for a game that challenges the way your brain thinks, improves your memory, has a ton of player interaction, can play a lot of people, and still takes less than an hour to play, I would suggest giving Ricochet Robots a try. You can still buy Ricochet Robots on Amazon. Out of the $40 it cost us initially, we’ve well gotten our money’s worth out of this game.

Final side note, Z-MAN games published Micro Robots. Mirco Robots was made after Ricochet Robots and was the game’s main inspiration. The interesting thing about this game is that you can play a variant of Ricochet Robots with the clear robot included in Micro Robots (it’s the exact same size and shape). Do note however, this Micro Robots game came to me with misprinted pieces so I have still not been able to play Micro Robots properly. It is still fun to play the variant in ricochet robots however.

The Board Game Geek Website

Hello fellow board gamers. Is it just me, or does everybody else who loves board games constantly check the BGG top 100 to see what’s shifting in the gaming world? I’m obsessed with the BGG (Board Game Geek) top 100 because the top games are always highly contested, played, and flip flop frequently. As I write this article today the top slot belongs to Gloomhaven. I remember Twilight Struggle being at #1 for a very long time, after knocking Puerto Rico off the top spot. Now Puerto Rico only hold the #24 spot on the site. It’s true. If you want to have a relevant game in the “Board Game World” you must be on Board Game Geek and you must have a decent score on the site to hold any credibility. In a world where so many are turning to Board Game Geek to see if your game is any good or not, it’s rank or be outranked.

Why is board game geek so popular and so widely used? It’s simple, people want to know what other peoples’ opinions of a game are before they buy it. They want to make sure they’ll get their monies worth out of the game. Truth be told, when I was just starting out, I had never heard of board game geek. So I would frequently buy games without vetting them first. Sometimes I’d get lucky, other times, I would simply buy dumb games, play them once, and then forget they ever existed because they were so terrible. This happened to me with an exceptionally bad game called 8*28. See the picture of this awful game depicted below.

Not only is this a terrible game, but it is basically the game “21” or “Blackjack” but instead of getting to 21 you must get to 8 or 28. If I had known about board game geek at that time, I would have done a search on my phone in the store before buying said terrible game and would have saved myself the money and time.

My point is, you don’t have to waste money on bad games anymore. If somebody makes a bad game most people will rate it accordingly. They do all the vetting for you so you don’t have to waste your money. I personally don’t even look at a game if it gets less than a 6.5/10 star score on BGG. Beyond telling what the game has scored, this website also tells you other vital information like . . .

It can tell you about the game’s playtime, theme, elements within the game, ect . . .

It has forums to help you answer frequently asked questions about the game (this is extremely useful for games with convoluted or complex rule systems).

Board Game Geek tells you how many players are ideal for the best game experience

They have forums to discuss your favorite games

People frequently post lists of their favorite games

You can create an account and add to your personal collection so people know what you own and what you scored a particular game.

I’ve found Board Game Geek to be extremely useful for all these reason. When I do research for the podcast I always go into these forums to get people’s consensus of a game. I have used it to clear up rules in so many games. It has also been the biggest tool in helping me determine whether or not I want to buy that game.

Finally, I know it has been extremely helpful for games which are just starting out. You can list your board game for free and people who have played it can give you a score. It’s a great tool to get the word out on a game you designed.

I encourage everybody to sign up with an account on Board Game Geek. If you are becoming a serious gamer, it really is the biggest, and most helpful tool you can use in the board game community today.

So before you put your index finger on your mouse and click the “Buy Now” button on Amazon, take a few seconds to check it’s Board Game Geek score. You’ll be happy you did! If you vet your games beforehand you’ll be much more likely to play them down the line rather than just having them sit on your shelf as wall decor.

So play safe everybody and we’ll see you next week for another article. Please comment below on the article. Maybe talk about a game you regret buying. Visit Board Game Geek here.

The Nostalgic Feeling Of Board Games

My wonderful co-hosts Cassandra and Damon agreed to let me take over the blog post for a while. In this first inaugural post I wanted to keep it personal and reflect on my history with board games. It wasn’t until recently when I profoundly looked back on my life, that I understood the magnitude with which games had shaped me as an individual. Not only this, but how much I have loved board games my entire life, as a child and as an adult. Board games have been my true life-long love affair.

As I look back to college I would play Fluxx during long breaks between classes with my bestie, Emil. I realized while looking back playing wasn’t just something to “pass the time” but rather to fill up my metaphorical “empty cup.” It was a way to rejuvenate and refresh my soul to be able to focus during classes. It brought me back to my childhood when I would just have fun without thinking about it. This is a true gift that board games have given me that never ceases to amaze me. I think we’re all looking for this sort of thing in our lives–fleeting moments of happiness among a world of dreary, and this is the first reason I love them. 

Earlier, in high school, I remember my friend Nicole and I would sit for hours and play Risk, Othello, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and a card game called B.S. I enjoyed every second of these games. Even earlier still, in elementary school, I remember my most prized possession being the Backgammon/Chess/Checkers set my parents got me for Christmas one year. It’s amazing how a smell can drag you back to an old wood chess board and the face of your father positioned across from you while you plan your next move. These memories attract me to board games to this day because they bring back that nostalgic feeling of the past.

I often talk about a concept with my family and friends in which you are only given a set amount of people in your life with you whom can truly be yourself. What i’m referring to, is the people who see every side of you, the good, the bad, and the ugly and they still accept you for who you are. Only once somebody has seen all this (and you’ve seen all of them) can you truly accept each other and act the most “naturally” while interacting.  When I play games I get to know people on the inside much faster than in normal interactions.

This is probably because games stir up strong emotions and bring out the best and worst in people–but especially the bad traits. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve “flown off the handle” at thinking I didn’t get the right amount of change given to me. There have been several times I thought I was “cheated” because I didn’t understand the rules in full. The great thing about board games is, they bring out the forgiving and compassionate side of people too. They have to forgive you for your crappy behavior and vice versa. Anyone reading this who says they haven’t been a “poor sport,” about a game before is just lying to themselves — everyone has been a poor sport at least once in their life. In a way, you can say board games make us more tolerant people. In truth, I think they provide children with excellent coping skills for this reason (okay, everybody).

I think it’s true after so much social distancing due to the Coronavirus, it’s clear that board games (even online board games) are a creative way for people to interact and maintain a strong connection with friends. Board Games bring people together, give them a sense of community, open the lines of communication, give people a nostalgic feeling from childhood, and diminish stress. Games give us an escape from the problems we are having in the moment, and help us to focus on something that makes us truly happy. So I will keep playing games for the rest of my life. I suggest you join me. Take up some games and create community in your own home today.