Welcome to Which Game First where we boldly explore the hilariously huge world of board games. Did we unearth any hidden treasures you’ve been missing out on? Let’s find out!

First up this week: We scramble our way to dominion as we fry our enemies with negative victory points in Eggs and EmpiresNext up: We float gently toward victory on floral scented breezes as we spread our colorful wings in MariposasAnd lastly: We Trick or treat our way back to Linus and sweet victory in It’s the great Pumpkin Charlie  Brown

Eggs and Empires

Designed by: Ben Pinchback, Matt RiddlePublished by: Eagle-Gryphon Games (2014)Players: 2 – 6Ages: 8 & upPlaying time: 20 – 30 minutes

In Eggs and Empires, players unleash their adventurers from their hands to collect as many Good Dragon Eggs as possible!

Players use matching decks of Empire Cards that contain Adventurers numbered 1-10 to lay claim to eggs from the community pile in the center. Eggs can be either face up, their value is known, or face down, their value is unknown until obtained.

On each turn, players will select one card from their hand and play it simultaneously. Good Eggs are worth VP while Exploding Eggs will you lose VP! 

Each empire card has a unique power that can affect the order in which eggs are selected. 

Whoever collects the most VPs over three rounds wins, and the winner is deemed Hero of the land and they get to wield the legendary sword named … Eggscalibur!

Mariposas

Designed by: Elizabeth HargravePublished by: Alderac Entertainment Group (2020)Players: 2 – 5Ages: 14 & upPlaying time: 45 – 75 min

Mariposas is a game of movement and set collection that lets players be part of the amazing journey that Monarch Butterflies make every year.  Every spring, millions of monarch butterflies leave Mexico to spread out across eastern North America. Every fall, millions fly back to Mexico. However, no single butterfly ever makes the round trip.

Mariposas is played in three seasons. Your butterflies try to head north in spring, spread out in summer, and return south in fall. On your turn, movement cards are played and flowers are collected.  Collect enough flowers to allow your butterflies to reproduce. 

The end of each season, score bonus points based on the location of your butterflies. 

At the end of fall, the player with the most successful family of butterflies — i.e., the most victory points — wins the game!

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Published by: Sababa Toys, Inc. (2006)Players: 2 – 4Ages: 5 & up

In It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Board Game, Celebrate Halloween with Charlie Brown, Sally, Lucy and Snoopy! Help them dress up in their Halloween costumes and collect candy while Trick or Treating. It then becomes a race through the Pumpkin Patch to reach Linus as he waits for The Great Pumpkin to rise. 

The first player to collect 5 pieces of candy by trick or treating, collecting their character’s Halloween costume by landing on their costume space, and the first one to get to Linus in the PP, wins the game!  Simple, it seems so, however … actually, there’s no however … it’s that simple!