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Welcome to the Magical Mystery Athlete Tour De Force, a roll and riot game. As in: Roll some dice and have a laugh riot. CMYK has taken the original Magical Athlete and everything that made it amazing, filed off the rough edges, embraced it's strangeness, and created a release that is even more epic than the original...and I didn't even think that was possible.
I was trying to explain Magical Athlete to a friend. Of course, they raised an eyebrow at the name. When I explained it was a roll and move, they sort of smirked and said “Like Snakes and Ladders?”
“Well, if the Snakes and Ladders were anthropomorphic playable characters with powers like the Ladder being able to climb over any character directly in front of them to move into the lead and the Snake being able to bite anyone who lands on their space, causing them to trip and fall...and all with really chunky dice.” I don't know what was more satisfying: the look of dismay on their face or the sparkle of interest in their eyes.
Straight out of the box, this game impresses. Actually before you even open the box, the artwork of Angela Kirkwood pulls you in. It's full-on Sid and Marty Krofft meets the Letter People...and if you aren't old enough to get those references, suffice to say it's an explosion of kooky fun. Once you actually open the box, be prepared to spend a significant amount of time ogling the amazing wooden racer meeples, picking out your favorite based on looks alone and then giggling once you read their unique powers. (Don't feel silly for being obsessed with Big Baby, everyone loves a chubby cherub). There are no vanilla characters here, the asymmetrical powered characters clash and bump into each other in chaotic and altogether satisfying ways.
I should probably note that Richard Garfield was brought in to work with CMYK on, well, reworking some parts of Magical Athlete. I think it's a true testament of what a fantastic job they did when all of the changes that have been made just seem, well, obvious. The previous version used a somewhat awkward bidding system for selecting racers. Now, it is done via a snake draft. And who gets to choose first? Of course, it is the person who rolls the highest on those big ole' chunky dice. If there's a tie, the player with the next highest roll drafts first...which just sets the stage for what you should expect in Magical Athlete.
Now, It's time to start running! You can play it with two players, which is frankly, surprising. Since the original was only for exactly four to five players. This is accomplished by, when playing with two (or, optionally, three) players, each player drafts two racers per race. It's not perfect but it's a great solution. It should be no surprise that the game still is at it's best with four or five players. Also new is the double sided board, with Mild Mile on one side (a basic track) and Wild Wilds on the other side (which includes victory point spaces, move back/forward spaces and trip spaces). I mean, If you aren't doing the slip and fall animation when you are moving your characters, what are you doing with your life? During the four races you will be running to determine the ultimate winner, you flip the board for each race. Mild, Wild, Mild, Wild (If that isn't a 80s Metal Band, it should have been).
The bang to buck ratio of Magical Athlete is off the charts. If CMYK announced a stand alone expansion with another 30+ racers and two new tracks today, the line would have to form behind me.The experience of repeat races is one of the highlights of Magical Athlete. Watching another player rack up Victory Points with Loveable Loser (who gets 1 Victory Point for each turn he starts in last place) only to draft him and suddenly roll 6's like a god is fantastic. Or watching another player hate draft M.O.U.T.H. to make sure I don't get them (M.O.U.T.H. chomps other players, putting them out of the race) and then proceed to eat everyone but me, assuring that I come in first place.
The rulebook is fantastic, the only thing I would have included is to set aside the unused racers from your first play so that when you start an inevitable second game, you can add those to the draft first because you will want to experience all the racers that are on offer. And if you want to skip the rulebook, CMYK has a spot on how to play video with Quinns of Shut up and Sit Down fame which perfectly captures the excitement and quirkiness of the game.
Magical Athlete offers main line fun for players of any level of board game experience. Bring it to a local Game Night or break it out with family at holidays, you can teach it in minutes. If you haven't experienced the Majestic Madness of Magical Athlete: May I suggest you run, don't walk, to get a copy. Just be careful not to trip...you'll just have to spend a round getting back up.
A review copy of this release was provided by the publisher. Therewillbe.games would like to thank them for their support.
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