This review continues my series of detailed reviews that attempt to be part review, part resource for anyone not totally familiar with the game. For this reason I expect readers to skip to the sections that are of most interest.
Summary
Game Type - Abstract Game (Tile)
Play Time: 15-30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Mechanics - Tile Placement, Modular Board
Difficulty - Pick-up & Play (Can be learned in under 15 minutes)
Components - Excellent ++
Image Courtesy of meat
Overview
Army of Frogs is the follow up to Hive by <PERSON> and Gen 42 Games. 'Frogs' shares some similarities with its predecessor but at the same time it reveals itself to be a different beast. However the comparisons are hard to avoid when assessing Army of Frogs and as such I may compare the two at regular intervals.
The aim in Army of Frogs is to manipulate the pond in such a way that you are the first to connect 7 or more of your Frogs together. As in Hive it is the Frogs themselves that form the Pond and as such the Pond is forever changing with every turn. Unlike Hive however, each Frog regardless of colour, moves in exactly the same way. This removes much of the depth inherent in Hive and results in Army of Frogs feeling like a much lighter game.
However the biggest difference between Hive and Army of Frogs is that Army of Frogs can accommodate 2-4 Players. I must admit that when I first heard of AoF my first reaction was that it was an attempt to design a multi-player version of Hive. Whilst this is not entirely achieved by the design, I think the use of 'Multi-player Hive' is accurate enough to give someone a quick impression of what's on offer.
But enough comparisons. Let's give Army of Frogs a chance and see what it actually is!
The Components
Army of Frogs is an abstract game and as such it conforms to one of the classic criterion for the genre - minimal pieces and minimal variety within the components. I'm still amazed by how abstract games can deliver so much with effectively so little.
Bakelite Tiles - These essentially are the game, with a total of 40 frogs (10 in each colour) on offer.
Each frog is speckled with black spots and the frog is portrayed in 3D as it protrudes out of the top of the Bakelite tile.
To assist with the movement of pieces, each Frog also features a finger hold at the top of the tile, which allows them to be easily picked up and hopped somewhere else.
All very well designed and very nice.
Image Courtesy of KSensei
Colour Token - Each player also receives a Bakelite colour token to make sure each player knows which colour the other players are. Not really essential but nice to have.
Image Courtesy of KSensei
Tile Bag - The Tile bag is the final in-game component and it is a really nice feature. 581
Made of quality cloth and coming in black it has an "Army of Frogs' Transfer. But the great thing about it is that a circular cardboard disc is sewn into the bottom so the bag will always sit nicely when put on the table. Add to that the quality draw string and string lock mechanism and this Tile Bag sets the standard for all other games to follow. Look at me...gushing over a Tile Bag...
Image Courtesy of Moviebuffs
Tray Insert - I don't normally mention the tray insert but I will here as it has more relevance than usual. The insert is simple enough, requiring only a single circular well to accommodate the tile bag and its contents. Unfortunately that circular design plus the weight of the tiles results in cracking of the circular tray insert. It's really no big issue but those gamers anal about keeping their games in good order may turn their nose up a little.
Buy hey the insert even includes a small indent, which I initially thought was for the draw string bauble to sit in. <PERSON> quickly informed me that the indent is actually for each player's coloured disc. Having played a few more times since writing the review I now fully appreciate this little feature as it is a pain in the backside to have to fish those discs out. Nice one.
Rules - Like any good abstract game, the rule set is pretty minimal. In fact these rules are even shorter than those needed for Hive, which reflects the simplicity of the play here.
In all Army of Frogs is presented at a high standard and even the most fussy of game players would tip their hat to the production values of the game.
The Game Play
As mentioned earlier the aim of Army of Frogs is to maneuver 7 or more of your Frogs so that they are connected within the Pond. The game throws in a nice little twist in that a player must connect all their Frogs present in the Pond. 84