Things are about to get lit🔥 , as we review the stacking game, Tinderblox, a simplistic but fun game by Alley Cat Games, where players build a tiny towering campfire inferno from the ground up using only small wooden pieces and stealthy placement. Think Operation meets Jenga and you are getting warmer to what Tinderblox is.
More Board Game Reviews:
• Yacht Rock (2020)
• This Game Goes To Eleven (2019)
• Don’t Get Got! (2019)
In Tinderblox, you start with a pre-arranged pile of rectangular “log-pieces” as your first layer (on the ‘Campfire Card’). Next, players take turns drawing from the top of the card deck. The cards have illustrated on them the pieces that need to be placed on top. If it’s more than one piece shown, the pieces need to be arranged before you move it to the main pile. Players take turns placing blocks until the pile is knocked over.
Seems simple enough, right? I mean more simple than building a real campfire, except here you need to use a pair of flimsy plastic tweezers (included) to place said pieces. Also, you sometimes need to change from your dominate hand (based on the card drawn). Furthermore, the wooden pieces are not always perfectly cut. Some of the yellow and red squares are cut unevenly which makes it difficult to stack.
“We didn’t start the fire!” Listen to rocking tunes while you play w/ Cottage Country Vol. 19
Tinderblox sounds so simple as to not be fun, but quite contrarily, it is a super fun game even for two players. It is easily accessible to almost any age (age 6 and up recommended). The rounds are short but satisfying, especially when you are able to pull off the impossible. It takes very little time to set up and to play with rounds somewhere between 3-15 min. All that It requires is a flat surface, a relative small amount of space and you are good to go. Going full-theme, we played Tinderblox while camping and found it very enjoyable, especially in the morning with a first cup of coffee. It comes in a convenient durable tin that holds the cards and pieces. Adding to the design, the pieces (although simple) look kind of cool, kind of like a Cubist conception of a fire. For a relative cheap price ($11.95 CAD), Tinderblox has plenty of replay value and is fun game even for two player.
Rating – Tinderblox (2020)
/ 5
Tinderblox gets a 4 out of 5
Players: 2 – 6
Duration: 3-15 minutes a game.
Ages: 6+
Learning Curve: Easy to play.
Dougie Boom's Cottage Country Mix 