Smash Up

Zombie Ninjas vs Dinosaur Pirates?! (... they are BFFs yo!)

In Smash Up players compete to be the first to earn fifteen victory points from smashing bases.

Players take turns playing minion and action cards from their deck. Each player deck is made of two faction decks (e.g. Zombie + Pirate). Each faction has a different play style based on their unique set of minions and actions.

The number of unique decks is a major part of what makes Smash Up interesting. There are 28 possible unique decks that can be created from the eight base factions. If you grab all the currently released expansions, there are a total of twenty-five factions and 300 possible unique decks. It is also possible to combine multiple copies of the base game if more than one player wants to play the same faction.

Smash Up uses an interesting scoring system that helps ensure each game is a close race to the finish. When a base is destroyed the top three players (by total power at the base) earn points scaled by rank (e.g. 4vp, 2vp, 1vp). Some bases also have special bonuses that occur when scoring.

The rulebook is written in cheesy language (of total awesomeness yo!), however the rules are clearly explained and special cases are handled well. The cards are well designed to clearly display the faction, power, and special ability text. The art style is eclectic, but, like the language, it's fitting for the theme.

While the box art and hip language gave an odd first impression, the competitive card game mechanics were solid and enjoyable.

Summary:

• 2-4 players, 45 minutes
• + close competition
• + variety of deck strategies
• + replayability
• + good quality cards
• + great family game
• • hand can sometimes stall with a single card type
• • several expansions released
• • rulebook writing style
• - original box can only hold 2 expansions
• - lack of big box version

More information about Smash Up and its expansions can be found at http://www.alderac.com/smashup.