Customer Reviews

Castle Panic

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Length:: 4:08 Mins

Fantastic family game!
It's a fun, lighthearted game that doesn't involve a lot of set up, let's you work together, and involves slaying crazed monsters - what's not to love.

We really like co-operative games in our family and with Castle Panic we never feel like one person is directing the whole effort with the others just going along. Everyone is in it together and can really make their own choices. And it's even great fun when we lose.

And even though the game says ages 10+, everyone down to our 6 year old loves it.
Games play out in under an hour, and turns go quickly so no one sits around waiting. Time flies by when you're defending from incessant monster attacks.

(Setting: a demo at a game store with designer Justin De Witt)

Clues you've got an exciting game: 1. Your oldest and "too-cool" daughter runs mid-game to you and whispers in your ear: "Mom, we HAVE to have this game for my slumber party Friday night!"; 2: Your middle child, who is typically quiet, is a chatterbox the whole time, is cracking game jokes with the designer, and is asking questions about the game design and extraordinary art; and 3: Your 7-year-old boy , who usually can't stay seated for very long, is listening intently to the rules and is biting his nails trying to figure out how he's going to beat those BAD monsters coming out of the forest and is NOT willing to trade that Barbarian card for anything!

This game was so fun because, unlike most other games in which players compete against each other, we had to work together as a family to beat the monsters coming out of the forest. We won game one (Mom was the Master Slayer with the most monsters killed); the monsters won game two.

The "rule" book has clear explanations, big, beautiful pictures, and is very organized. This game is going to be a hit!

Castle Panic is advertised as a relatively light cooperative "tower defense" game, and it fits the bill perfectly. Games can be played with 1-6 people, each game lasts around an hour, and it is very quick and easy to pick up. After opening the box and reading the directions, people can begin playing in 10 or 15 minutes.Don't let the simple rules fool you though, the game is very intense and enjoyable!

The game has lived up to my expectations as a great way to spend time with friends and family; I have been playing with my wife and some friends avidly since the game arrived a few days ago.

The game mechanics are very balanced. I have only lost once out of the seven times I played (it was a solo game), but each victory has been VERY close, with only one or two towers remaining. Another great part of the game is that it is very customizable; rules can be changed here and there to make it easier or harder. For example, you can choose to start the game with no tower walls, draw more monsters each turn, etc.

I really like the cooperative aspect of the game, which seems to be a rarity in the gaming world. Although there is an optional competitive element to the game, where the player with the most monster kills is crowned the "Master Slayer," the main goal of the game is survive, and you either do it through team work, or you all perish together. As the game progresses, and you lose some walls and towers to approaching trolls, goblins, orcs, and special "boss monsters," the action gets very intense. With a hoard of monsters surrounding your castle, the tension of what will happen next becomes palpable.

If you are looking for a unique, light, fun way to spend time with friends and family, don't hesitate, try out Castle Panic!

Plenty of people have done an admirable job of explaining the games in their reviews, so this is instead an attempt at a comparison between a number of games, the pros and cons of each and which may suit different people best. The games in question are: Carcassonne, Settlers of Catan, Castle Panic, Smallworld, and Forbidden Island.

We have had Settlers of Catan and Carcassonne (with a number of expansion packs) for quite a few years now, and only recently added the other games above. We usually either play just as two adults, or with our two older children (age 9 and 8), and so our conclusions are based on how these games work in those settings. So here's what we've found:

Settlers of Catan
We got this around the same time as Carcassonne and initially just didn't latch onto it. Partly it's that it's supposed to be 3 players or more, and we often play as just two of us. Once we found online some instructions for playing as 2 players it came out more often, and as time's gone by it's become fairly 50-50 whether we play Settlers or Carcassonne on a quiet night in. The choice will usually depend on how much we want to think. With Settlers, you're always planning and calculating; with Carcassonne, you're taking it a card at a time.

Who should get it: Settlers is well-known as one of the great modern games. I'm not as sold on it as some people, and it takes quite a while to learn and feel comfortable with, but once you get the hang of it, it is an entertaining and enjoyable addition to a games collection. There are several 2-player rule variations out there if you need them and they work well (we found one that worked for us and we've stuck to it). But this isn't a game for kids; I would suspect not until they're 16 or so. Amongst other things, I think they'll find it too dull.

Carcassonne
This has been a favorite for years now, and everyone we've played it with has gone off to get it themselves. We usually play without farms because it then becomes less directly competitive and more sociable. Kids can play it, adults can play it, it's relaxed, it's fun and it's simple to learn. Here's one nice thing about it: you don't have to be constantly thinking and planning ahead. You don't know what card you're going to draw next time, so you just play one card at a time. You're encouraged to discuss where to put a card, and since you don't know what piece you're getting next, your comments to another player are usually pretty unbiased.

Who should get it: In my experience, pretty much anyone, except those who want ultra-competitive games. The first few expansion packs are also well worth getting, but don't bother with anything from Mayor onward.

Castle Panic
The kids love this one, again it's simple to learn and it has the added bonus of allowing them to get out their aggressive instincts and go postal on monsters! They don't like the `master slayer' option, but prefer just straight cooperative play. After the first few plays, I've found the basic game is too easy, and so we're experimenting with making it more challenging, such as starting with no walls, or drawing 3 monster cards at a time instead of 2. I think Castle Panic will become a game that we get out pretty regularly to play.

Who should get it: People with kids, who want to play cooperative games. Could be fun as a party game too!

Smallworld
While the kids have enjoyed playing this, I think their interest is starting to wane already. I suspect it will work better as a game with a group of adults, or when the kids are older. It has a lot going for it, especially the creative cards and board, but as others have noted - what's with the box for the tokens? Very poorly designed and adds unnecessary annoyance. Most of the time when playing we've found it's not too directly competitive, it's easier to attack lost tribes or declining races, so generally it doesn't get too personal!

Who should get it: I think this would make a fun addition to a games collection, but I don't think it would be a go-to game, especially with kids. The rules are more complicated to learn and explain than the other games, and this makes it hard to just sit down with new players and get on with a game. Having said that, we've enjoyed playing it , and I think it'll get pulled out every now and then over the years.

Forbidden Island
Although the kids would prefer Castle Panic, when we've played Forbidden Island (at my insistence!) they've thoroughly enjoyed it. As the island starts to collapse in a heap toward the end of the game, the tension levels rise and people are on the edge of their seats! The game always ends with voices rising in pitch and tension as cards get turned over - it's fun! It's a pure cooperative game, and that works well for us as a family - no one feels bad, we're all in it together. We're still using the `Normal' level of play, maybe we'll notch up a level soon!

Who should get it: If you like cooperative games, I think this is excellent to have. I love how easy it is to set different difficulty levels, and it's definitely the game that's had the most excited tension - Castle Panic has this at times, but not sustained (at least as the basic game). It doesn't have the whole monster thing going for it that Castle Panic does, and I think that's why the kids haven't latched onto it so quickly (kill trolls or wander round an island getting treasure - which is your average kid going to choose?) but I suspect that long-term it'll have more staying power.

I often have problems playing games with my two girls ages 11 and 12 due to who won and lost wars. This game has allowed us to have great family game nights with a victory for all. If you can beat the monsters. The variations the game discusses have been great fun when they are up for more of a challenge and I usually take the hit and get beaten dispite my best efforts. A creative and active game for all participants. Because you work together no one gets bored waiting for their turn. Great problem solving and idea sharing. Easy instructions and cues on the board let you get starting quickly. We love the game and plan to share it with all our friends and family.

I have close to 100 board and card games, but like a gamer, I still buy more, looking for a game to grab the kids attention (14 and 9 yoa girls). This game is easily one of them. The cooperative aspect is a big bonus for the game, everyone can try their hardest to win, rather than sometimes you have to let the kids get a win in so they don't sulk and quit playing. What is important to a game is how easy it is to learn and explain, and this one is good for that. Sure, more complicated than Candy Land, but probably on the level of something like good old Clue when it comes to reading the instruction booklet. The only learning curve comes from remembering what certain monster tokens mean, like the Orc Warlord and Troll Mage. The publisher even has that info printed on the game board for easy access, as well as turn sequence. I have lots of good games, but if I have to reread rules every time I play it, I don't play it that often (i.e. Zooloretto). This game won't suffer from that problem. I would not recommend this game to hard core players who want a tense, high stakes war game. This game will have you groaning and cheering. I have probably only played it about 15 times, and my army has beat the invaders perhaps 3 times, but every game is close. Definitely a keeper.

This is a fairly light co-op board game that is easy to learn and easy to play. It's a lot of fun, overall, and there's a great underlying sense of constantly being on the edge of defeat whenever you play (and I'd say the game wins about 2/3 of the time in my experience). It's great for all ages and encourages some excellent cooperation between players. The rules are very simple, and a game can be run in under a half hour usually.

On the downside, there is a huge element of random luck that can really throw the game mechanics off. If you draw enough boss monster tiles and/or boulders in one go, the game is likely going to win no matter how good your strategy is. The randomness is part of the charm, yes, but it also leads to games with wildly different difficulties depending on the monster tiles you draw. It probably drives me crazy more than a typical gamers because I tend to prefer games where the players win if they have a solid strategy. However, if you are comfortable with the amount of luck that is involved in say, Risk or Monopoly, then the randomness likely won't bother you.

To sum it up, for casual gamers, I'd recommend this game highly. For more serious strategy gamers, I'd definitely try it before you buy it to see if it is to your taste.

I bought this for my 12 year old nephew. I wasn't sure if my kids would like it, so I used him as a guinea pig. He and my twins (10) and my other nephew (9) all loved it and played it twice in one evening. I noticed that my father-in-law was getting interested in what they were doing also. Now one of my 10 year olds can't wait to buy his own copy of it. It's so nice to have something good enough to pull them away from video games. I highly recommend this for boys 8 and up, although I don't consider this to be only for children. Teens and adults will also enjoy this. It has great appeal.

I've often asked myself what makes a great game. It seems so hard to find that combination of elements that go together to make something as simple to recognize like fun but so hard to describe in concrete terms. I've found that in this game. A simple objetive, defending a castle, for 1 to 6 players. Monsters attack each turn and if they destroy a wall they can destroy the castle towers. If all six go down, the game is over for everyone.

What I've enjoyed the most after 10 or so games is that every time I explain it, people seem to think it's easier than it sounds. After a few rounds, the difficulty is aparent and people start learning that they need to focus on working together to beat the game. When players acomplish that, they see that isn't enough. They now then need to start thinking on how not only beat the monsters, but also the rest of the players, getting more points from defeating monsters than the rest.

I love games that allow people of different skill level and experiences to play and have a good time. This is one of those games. Play it with a few friends and enjoy.

I purchased Castle Panic based off the video reviews on Amazon. I have an eight year old son who loves games but upon opening it I just wasn't sure he'd be able to keep up with the game. Boy was I wrong. Not only does he keep up but so far we haven't lost a single battle to the hordes of trolls and goblins yet. This is a very fast paced, cooperative play game. Instead of playing against each other, all of the players are against the monsters. We laugh and cheer as each turn goes by. We threaten to throw each other out of the kingdom when a big monster is drawn each turn. This has just been one of the greatest board games we've had. I highly recommend this game to not only families but to any group of friends who enjoy a fast paced board game paced with thrills and fun.