Review Details

Zooloretto

Product Rating:

Product Review (submitted on December 13, 2008):

To many people, the Spiel des Jahres (an annual award given to the best German Family game of the year) is a sign of quality, including sturdy wooden components, sound, stream-lined strategic gameplay, and highly accessible rules. To me, the SdJ tells me that this probably isn't the game for me for these same reasons. I prefer epic games that take up a whole evening (or even a day) with plenty of player conflict, pounds of plastic and tokens, deep and complicated rules, and a strong narrative that is tied directly to the players' actions. So take my "3 stars" for Quality with a grain of salt.

Needless to say, I was very skeptical when I saw the box to Zooloretto. But it surprised me by being kinda clever, kinda charming, kinda competitive, and more than kinda fun. Certainly not the highest praise I've ever doled out, but it was definitely more enjoyable than most of the other SdJ winners I've played.

Objectively speaking, anyone looking for a game that has a cute setting and aesthetic, is very accessible to new players and non-gamers, and is family friendly, you could do a lot worse than Zooloretto. It's not a game I would personally buy, but it's a game I'm quite glad is in my friend's collection.