HELLO DEAR READER!
GAME DESIGNER: Doug Cook, Funmaker Games. Art By Beth Trott.
PLAYERS: 2 -3, 20-30 minutes, Ages 8+, Small pieces warning for the 3 and under crowd.
GAME BASICS: MIMIC - Safari Edition is a fast paced card-based strategy game. You place your cards in various patterns in order to rid yourself of score cubes. Be the first to rid yourself of score cubes and you win! Sound easy? Don't be fooled. The elegant play style belies the complexities that can challenge even ranked chess masters!
Exquisitely created artwork, ( Beth Trott ) highlighting animals of the African continent, are your path to victory! basing your plays off the Start cards, you forge continuous patterns of matching pairs. The game field is confined to a 7 x 7 size, and this causes you to 'bend' your patterns around corners and even other cards. Score cubes act as obstacles as the game progresses and like prime real estate..each open space becomes more valuable and potentially game-deciding! That's where the monkeys come in....
As if the ever changing game space was not challenging enough, now you have people able to alter how cards are played and how the board is filled! The game mascot, Affa, decorates your Power cards and helps you catch up if you are behind or to stifle the runaway gamer who's about to win! Use them wisely as you only get 5 per game!
GAME DISSECTION: Lions and Zebras and Monkeys...OH MY!
ART: Beth Trott's skills as an artist with a pulse on the gamer mind shines brightly again! watercolor art, once typically restricted to crafts and Victorian set movies, has found new power in Beth's hands. Mimic shines with her style and is an excellent addition to any bookshelf collection.
PRICE: 15.00$ This means you have change from the almighty Jackson! Now you can play a game with the kids and have a lovely portrait of Lincoln to adorn your wallet...which means there's a dollar menu somewhere calling your name...REPLAY: Mimic is not a three hour game. Its a sit down and play a few games game. This makes it an ideal game for kids and impatient people. That being said its not a no-brainer game like Candyland. The fun of this game comes from the battle of wits that occurs when you try to outmatch your opponents! therefore... its highly replayable! Expect grudge matches from your defeated foes!
MECHANICS: Its a cardgame, its a strategy game, its a color/image matching game. It has cool lil cubes that mark your progress...this means that the typical gamer will be familiar with the inner workings of MIMIC but probably cannot site another game that combines them so smoothly. I played it once with a Viet Nam war vet and his friend. His comments on the game "This is a really elegant design." Then he and his friend each put down a 20$ bill to make it more interesting for them. after that I played with some children about ages 9 and 11. The 9 year old whipped her brother's but soundly. The mechanics are smooth.
FUN: LOTS! The ease of play with the depth of strategy means this is a game everyone can play and not feel bogged down by in a heavy set up or a limited play group. Its enjoyed equally by children and war vets of all ages.
GAMER PROFILE: Are you a man or a monkey?
CASUAL: This game is easily picked up by even strict non-gamers. Good to bring along to new places and to share with new friends.
ACTIVE: Buy it. Play it. Its a great game to bring to a restaurant when you just want to spend some time with friends and not leave right away because the food is gone.
GAMER: Gamers are notorious for increasing the standard mechanics of a game... while you will not need that... a good gamer could easily buy two copies of Mimic... and play on a giant 14 x14 grid.... this would also make you able to play with 6 people. More is always fun!
CREATOR: Excellent Art.... Elegant Design. Fun and Award winning. THESE are your goals as a game designer. MIMIC is an excellent example of how the art attracts customers first, then excellent gameplay makes them faithful buyers. Go to Origins and look for the Funmakers Booth... you'll see a GIANT banner of the cover art from a mile away.... and then watch as people work their way to see what its all about. Imitate this success.
FOR THE LADIES: You'll like this game. Its pretty and clever and fun. If you are a mom, you'll have a great game to engage the kids with instead of video games and TV shows that pander to a child's intellect...this will expand their decision making skills not hinder them. If your significant other is a big gamer... this will give you a chance to strut your stuff on an equal playing field. " Skill against skill alone " ~ Fezzik
ABOUT ME: I'm a Gamer, Game Designer, and above all, a good guy who loves sharing games with people! if you have any questions, write me at redearth72@gmail.com
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