Break Out the Shake Out!

According to the Author:

Shake Out! is a fast, fun and easy game of dice rolling and set collecting with just a hint of 'take that' to keep things raucous around the game table. This game is perfect for gamers looking for something fast to play between longer games, families looking for  something everyone can play together and anyone looking to get non-gamer friends to the table with you. So if you're looking for a good time, Break Out the Shake Out!

Playability: If you can comprehend what a straight is (several dice of sequential value), what N of a kind would be, and are able to tell that a 6-5-4 straight bumps a 4-3-2 straight, then you've got all the mental horsepower you need to play (if not to win).

Strategy: Being dice based and fast, it is not exactly Advanced Squad Leader with all the expansions. On the other hand, you do have decisions to make every moment of your turns, which come fairly quickly.

You have to look at what you have rolled, what 9 cards are up to be played upon, and decide on how many dice to reroll and whether to change strategy for the 2nd reroll. You also have to decide if you have dice that could go in multiple places, what is the least likely to get bumped and most likely to return you the best point value. So there is some strategy here, although it tends to be short horizon.

Fun: This game is pretty good. Everyone I know so far who has played it has thought it was pretty good. I did get to help playtest and I think I helped tighten up the scoring to make the game even more competitive than it already was. The playtest version had the fun down, but it seemed like it needed to compress the scoring ranges a bit.


Having seen the result, I'd say it worked. The noobs playing it on 'official release night' were loving it! Their game ended with a tense 10% margin of victory and saw one player get 5 of a kind 5s and be dethroned by 5 of a kind 6s on the very next roll! That's almost the most fun you can have with your clothes on! (Almost... but probably is the most fun you can have with a family friendly game!)

Value: It can fit in between other games or be a night-ender or a casual game while people chat at a party. That means it has replayability. I'll also say I've payed much more for games I've only played once then never played again (Civilization with the 384 plastic playing pieces, I'm looking squarely at you!).

If I had any one demerit to attach, it would be that I'm not a fan of the box, but Louis wanted to keep the price reasonable and knew that a deck and dice based game could be put in a small box people might have or even a small bag, so I can't fault him for that. He wanted a smaller box, but you'd be shocked to know what that was worth from Gamecrafters. So, the box is kinda lame, but the consolation is that helped keep the game price down. The dice are okay and the cards are good quality with excellent art and good icon presentation. Easy to read even if you are colour blind, which is a nice touch.

Player Count: The game is a lot of fun for 2, 3 or 4 people. Played by 2, its is a bit more oriented around the set collecting with less bumping. Played with 4, the bumping can get cutthroat and set collecting is a bit harder. It works well for any number though.

Overall: I liked it enough I've picked up some copies for several gaming groups I see occasionally. It'll do well on nights where we don't have enough for Junta, BSG, Struggle of Empires, or something heavy like that. It's a great before dinner game while the food is cooking away and you want something fast that won't delay dinner. I was impressed by Louis' decent mechanics and his good visual presentation. For a first published game, it has more value than a lot of others I've payed more for who were written by supposedly full-time game designers.

Recommendation: Give it a try if you want something light and fun for 2-4. You won't be disappointed.

And for the record, I wouldn't be championing this game if I thought it sucked. I am anxiously looking forward to Richard and Louis getting 'Non-Stop Safari' into publishable shape. I played the demo for it and it played well and the game theme is just hilarious!