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Angry Birds Card Game review

Pig Poker

Angry Birds Card Game review
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| Angry Birds

You've played Angry Birds to death, right? Everybody has. Whether we're talking about the original, the seasonal spin-off, or the space-based edition, we've all popped about a million pigs. Each.

What you probably haven't delved into, however, is the multitude of Angry Birds toys, boardgames, and card games that have found homes for themselves on toy shop shelves up and down the country.

Before you ask, I've already tried the boardgame. It was a bit, well, pants.

Next up, I'm going to try my hand at Mattel's Angry Birds card game. The prolific toy manufacturer has taken Rovio's video game concept of flinging birds at pigs and converted it into a strategic card and dice experience.

Let's get rolling

Each player is dealt six structure cards, with which they must build a six-storey tower. You can place these six cards in any order you like.

It's then a case of taking it in turns to roll a pair of dice in an attempt to destroy the bottom brick. If you roll a red bird and there's a red bird on the bottom brick, you remove that brick. Repeat until all six bricks are gone. Simple as that.

Here's the trick that makes the game slightly less random, though: if you don't get the bird you were looking for, you get to pick up a special card. You can play these on your turn, and they grant you the power to either aid your progress or hinder an opponent.

For example, there are cards which allow you to remove a piece from your tower or re-roll a turn. There are also cards that allow you to add an extra piece to an opponent's tower or make him miss a go. It's surprisingly tactical, especially for a kids' game.

King Pig

Once your tower has been completely destroyed, it's time to move on to the final phase. A cardboard cutout King Pig sits two feet away from you on your table, coaxing you to flick a die at him.

When it's your turn, you get to do just that. If you can knock the pig over with your die, you win the game. As you can imagine, games don't last all that long. That makes it great for a quick play or two with your children.

The card game, then, is actually far better than the fowl-flinging boardgame we've tried previously. It's not exactly Carcassonne, mind, and you won't want to play too many rounds on the *cough* trot, but as a quick timewaster it's entertaining enough.

Now, if you don't mind - we've got some King Pigs to flick in the snout.

Mike Rose
Mike Rose
An expert in the indie games scene, Mike comes to Pocket Gamer as our handheld gaming correspondent. He is the author of 250 Indie Games You Must Play.