The whole game has a really nice, solid feel - you wouldn’t worry too much about your three-year-old nephew or niece getting their hands on this one. The game has a certain aesthetic charm - the sheep illustrations on the tiles are a little wacky, a little crazy, yet they seem to fit the name of the game (even without any specific military design). The sheep tiles are thick and heavy, making a satisfying sound when clunked together. ![]() The pasture tiles which make up the play area are really solid and thick, fitting together perfectly. Whilst this is a simple, quick game with only two components, the quality of those pieces is excellent. The quality of the components in Battle Sheep deserves a mention. This sort of sudden ending can make the two-player game feel very short and unsatisfying. At this point, the winner of the game can already be determined. For instance, if one player is completely blocked, so that they can only move their remaining sheep tiles in one third of the play area, whilst their opponent has free reign, there is little point in continuing the game. It is likely that the outcome of a game with two players becomes very apparent partway through the game. Whilst Battle Sheep can be a really fun filler game - most games last no more than about 15 minutes - I would not recommend it for two players. With three players, it can be easier to watch other players, but it can also become very easy for two players to “gang up” on an obvious leader. It can be difficult to keep an eye on what all three of your opponents are trying to do, whilst also making sure that you are not about to be blocked. With four players, Battle Sheep can become very chaotic. That sounds pretty simple, right? But Battle Sheep can become very cut-throat, as a player can easily find themselves trapped in a corner of the play area, sometimes inadvertently, though usually by someone else's design. ON future turns, players can move any number of sheep from any of their stacks. The whole of the stack being moved must be kept together and can only stop once they reach the last unoccupied pasture (hex) in that straight line (without jumping gaps or other sheep!). Then the game itself can begin.Įach player, in turn, takes some of the sheep tiles from the stack (they must leave a minimum of one behind) and moves them all as far as possible in one direction. Once all pasture tiles have been laid, each player places their stack of 16 sheep into one of the perimeter hexes of the play area. Players take turns to place one tile on the play area, adjacent to the others - leaving gaps is permissible, as long as the newly-laid tile joins on one side. Each player is given four identical pasture tiles, each made up of four hexes. The pasture area is assembled by the players at the start of the game. However, so are the other players, and at the same time, the other players (shepherds?) are trying to scupper your plans to spread out. In Battle Sheep, designed by Francesco Rotta, players are trying to spread their flock as wide as possible into a limited space. Battle Sheep is a relatively simple game, which can have some real face-palm moments, all in the name of fun. ![]() They may look chirpy and fun, but those sheep can be evil. In the case of a tiebreak, the player who has placed the largest contiguous (touching) flock of sheep wins! Player elimination can – and will – occur if players can no longer move any of their stacks. It’s all-too easy to get hemmed in, if you’re not careful! The aim is to spread all 16 of your sheep out. Sheep chips are literal barriers, meaning your stacks cannot pass through them. On later turns, you can then split any of your stacks.Īs Battle Sheep progresses, the pasture becomes more and more congested with sheep. It has to travel as far as it can go, in that direction. You move the split part in any direction leading out of that hex. On your turn, you have to split your stack (so leaving at least one sheep behind, or moving at least one sheep from it). You stack them on any one of the pasture’s edge hexes. And when you do, it opens up some devilish strategy options!Įach player starts with a stack of 16 sheep, in the form of plastic ‘poker’-sized chips. If you want to create awkward gaps in it, you can. Meaning you’ll create a unique, giant, wacky modular board layout every time. The next player places another tile adjacent to this, and so on and so forth. You begin by placing a tile – consisting of four hexes, interlinked – onto the table. Setting up is part of playing Battle Sheep, itself! ![]() Games of Battle Sheep are easy to teach, and there’s no dull waiting while someone sets up the game. Battle Sheep is an abstract strategy game by Blue Orange Games that takes things to pastures new! This is a wonderful tactile game about managing your own rival flocks of sheep using grid movement.
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