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As a board game reviewer, I'm almost constantly introducing new games to my family/friends. My sister-in-law Ashley is usually a victim..err..willing participant to some of these adventures. So, I kind of set her up (Okay, I totally set her up) when I announced that we had a new game to play. She huffed and puffed and then I dropped Loonacy on the table, knowing full well she adores the artwork of Mary Engelbreit.
Loonacy brings back pseudo-memories of lunch time card games in Junior High. You have a hand of cards...except you really don't want to keep them in your hand. Instead, you will want to set them out on the table in front of yourself so you can play them quickly. Depending on the player count, you will have a number of “Discard” piles that you can play like cards to. You need to play like cards on top of like cards. Oh, and all the cards are split with two different images on them, so you have a choice of two different images to play on for each discard deck.
Gameplay is as frenzied as you might imagine, with bursts of cards being played while everyone examines what cards they have and if they can get them out. The art of Mary Engelbreit is perfect for this style of game. This is because her art, especially the pieces selected for this game, have a enough detail (and usually text) that you can't recognize them at a simple glance. You have that millisecond (or several seconds) of trying to register if you can play...and, usually, someone slapping a card where you wanted when you finally realize you can play.
I absolutely love the “Point at the deck” mechanism for when you have no cards left that will play. Once you can't play any more cards, you point at the deck to indicate that you are ready to draw a new card. Once everyone is pointing at the deck (or pointedly clearing their throat, directed at another player who has a match they can play...but only, you know, if it would benefit them by creating a match they could play to), each player is dealt another card and everyone simultaneously flips the new card and rushes to play it...or, at least, frantically search the discard piles to decide if they can play it.
Loonacy lives up to it's name. It's a crazy race to discard all of your cards and go out before anyone else. What it lacks in thoughtful play, it makes up in pure frantic fun and laughter when someone places a card mere moments before you. Listening to another player mutter/scream “No, No, No, NO!” as everyone else plays cards never gets old.
So, how did Ashley enjoy her trip into Loonacy? After a few laughter filled rounds of the Mary Engelbreit fueled mayhem, I noticed her picking up her phone and asked what she was doing “Ordering a copy.” Ahh, Loonacy, if you can't contain it, at least you can spread it around.
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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