Stronghold Games Brikks Board Game

Don't expect a thinky and deep game like That's Pretty Clever or Twice as Clever by the same designer. This is a lighter and easier game than those and possibly lighter than Qwixx. I think it does a very good job of giving you that Tetris feel to this kind of game. It's still important to get four rows completed in a single turn, so that you can ramp up bonus points at the end. It has a nice little energy resource management mechanic that can help you rotate tiles each turn which consumes energy. If you like Tetris at all and you like roll 'n write games (like Yahtzee or Qwixx), you should really give this a try.

Fast and easy to play. I like how the player sheets look like an old arcade game. This game is fine. There are many roll and write games out there as well as Tetris like games. This game is not one of the best from either of those categories but for under $15 it is a nice choice to play with non gamers as it is easy to teach and play in a short time.

We love Roll and Write games, and bonus, this one scratches that Tetris nostalgia itch. Pretty clever.

A fun quick little game but done of the rules were unclear.

The video game Tetris dates back to the 1980s, and is a modern classic. More than one board game has already been produced that utilizes the Tetris concept, perhaps the most well-known known one being Reiner Knizia's excellent FITS (2009), which was nominated for many awards, including the prestigious Spiel des Jahres Award. In today's gaming market-place there has been a real resurgence of roll-and-write games, so it was inevitable that someone would try to design a Tetris styled roll-and-write game. And who better to do it than Wolfgang Warsch, the very successful designer of the popular and award-winning roll-and-write game That's Pretty Clever (2018).GAME-PLAYIn Brikks, we are effectively playing tetris, but the shape and orientation of our polyomino blocks will be determined by rolling two dice. We drop our blocks down into our personal grid, by marking Xs on the square spaces of our dry erase board. Fortunately we do have ways to alter how our blocks are facing, and can spend "energy" points to rotate them if necessary, but we'll have to manage our energy carefully and use it wisely. If absolutely necessary we can use bombs can blow up blocks, but that will cost us penalty points at the game end. But it will pay to do so if we can get the bonus points that will be awarded for filling horizontal rows in our grid, especially ones that are higher up. Can we make the best decisions possible with the blocks given us by our dice, and earn the most points in Brikks?IMPRESSIONSRoll-and-write games are all the rage these days, and designer Wolfgang Warsch is has created some of the best in the business, especially his outstanding title Ganz schön clever. This newer title doesn't quite have the same staying power and appeal as its older brother, or the same depth of decisions or combos. A somewhat lighter experience, where luck plays a slightly bigger role, Brikks is a simpler game that is easy to learn and play.But it is still a terrific game that has a relatively light and straight-forward feel, that proves very fun and rewarding. The fact that it has a close link with Tetris will give it an instant charm for many gamers. The additional mechanics involved make it more tricky than Tetris, and it is a real puzzle with challenging decisions. At times there are push-your-luck elements, and you'll feel at the mercy of the dice, but you can mitigate the luck, by gathering energy points that are used to manipulate a piece. As such Brikks does a very good job of capturing the essence of Tetris, while adding elements that really enhance the puzzle-like feel. Finding the optimum way to manipulate the falling shapes by clever use of the energy points will prove essential and enjoyable. It also proves very satisfactory as a solitaire experience.RECOMMENDATIONBrikks is another fine addition to the ranks of roll-and-write games. This genre is becoming more and more crowded, which also makes it harder for games to stand out. Brikks has the advantage of coming from a well-known designer, and having a close link to a classic video game of Tetris. It needs these credentials, because while it's a good game, there is growing competition in the roll-and-write niche, and otherwise there would have been a much higher chance it would go unnoticed. As it is I'm glad to have it, and while it may not quite enjoy the same success as Ganz schön clever, it's a fine addition to a game collection.

BrikksPublisher: Stronghold GamesGame Type: Roll and WritePlayer Count: 1-4BGG Rating: 6.4Geek Rating: 5.8My Rating: 6.0Components: FairArt: GoodCard Sizes: N/AGame Difficulty: EntryAmount Of Learning: LowFocus Needed: LowNotes: Brikks is a tetris style roll and write game with retro art work designed to look like a tetris arcade game.Overall: This is a fun roll and write tetris style game that is a simple and interesting take on tetris. This game is a basic game, meaning there isn't much more to this game then the Tetris style. The way of scoring is pretty creative, and is kind of fun to go through all the points at the end. All-in-all, it was a fun game with a nostalgic feel to the game play. If you like tetris then I would recommend trying this one out.