Game: Make 'n' Break

Thread: Re: Variant to even out players skill and luck

sbszine — 2008-07-30T04:25:42+00:00

This variant is in the rulebook for Make n Break Extreme.

Thread: Re: Variant to even out players skill and luck

Karlsen — 2008-07-30T03:28:05+00:00

Just never use the die. We used it the first time we ever played and never again.

Thread: Variant to even out players skill and luck

Drew — 2008-07-29T15:39:27+00:00

How does this variant sound? I haven't play it yet but I'll give it a try the next time I play.

The first round everyone builds with the timer set at 1. The second round with the timer at 2 and the third round at 3. On the fourth round the leader has the timer set to 1 the person in second has it set to 2 and everyone else has the time set to three. This could even out player skill as well as luck of the draw.

Thread: Re: variant idea

Drew — 2008-07-29T15:15:06+00:00

My daughter had the same idea. I'm not sure how that might work since the other players watch the builder and verify that the build was correct.

Thread: Partner variant

Mike Mayer — 2008-07-07T22:14:38+00:00

Partner variant:

Play with teams of two.

One player (the clue-giver) on a given team takes the job of looking at the cards and then describing to his partner what he must build. His partner is not permitted to look at the cards. Gestures and hands signals (pointing and the like) are not permitted by the clue-giver. Nor may the clue-giver use the words "left" and "right."

That's it!

-M

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Meat — 2008-01-30T15:05:14+00:00

One of the buildings you may be required to construct

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Meat — 2008-01-30T15:01:46+00:00

Box Back

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Meat — 2008-01-30T15:00:51+00:00

Box Front (hi res)

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otscotty — 2007-11-26T02:37:00+00:00

For little boys, 'Break' beats 'Make' anyday.

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otscotty — 2007-11-26T02:33:28+00:00

Jonathan watches Jesse as the tension mounts!

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SeleneCorvinus — 2007-07-25T16:36:45+00:00

Game and Accessories

Thread: Re: Make 'n' Break Extreme?

Karlsen — 2007-07-10T13:02:59+00:00

A bit like Tetris or 3d Ubongo. See http://www.ravensburger.de/web/Make-n-Break-Extreme__3245369...

Just a box picture though, but you can see some pieces and cards.

Edit: Actually click on the little image below main image to see a pop-up of a shot of some of the components.

Thread: Re: Make 'n' Break Extreme?

Sanders — 2007-07-09T16:29:38+00:00

Wow, thanks for the heads up!

Edit: Now if only Ravensburger would print an English verison - so it be easy to find here in the US.

Thread: Re: Make 'n' Break Extreme?

jtakagi — 2007-07-09T16:10:20+00:00

Hmm...answering my own question. It looks like the pieces are more than just rectangular blocks - more like the pieces you'd see in Rumis or Pueblo. I'm not sure I'd be as interested in this one, as it seems more analytical and less speed oriented.

Thread: Make 'n' Break Extreme?

jtakagi — 2007-07-09T15:55:25+00:00

I just saw some photos for a game called "Make 'n' Break Extreme". Does anyone know what the differences are with this new version? It looks like this is also coming out via Ravensburger.

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greatsage — 2007-06-12T08:09:37+00:00

Thread: variant idea

larryjrice — 2007-04-26T01:58:41+00:00

Has anyone ever picked up more blocks and played this game with everyone playing at the same time so there is no down time? (In other words, has anyone played this game the way Ubongo plays?). I'd be curious if this would work. If so, where might these wood blocks be available for purchase? If I had access to a saw, I'd do it myself since its pretty straight forward...

Thread: Re: M'n'B: Its Strengths, Weaknesses, along with some Prattle

jollypirate — 2007-02-05T00:43:55+00:00

Mine goes 1 min. 10 seconds. With 12.5 second increments sepparating 1 and 2, and 2 and 3.

Thread: Re: M'n'B: Its Strengths, Weaknesses, along with some Prattle

fullerbd — 2007-02-05T00:38:49+00:00

this is a very fun game, I broke my timer last time I played and haven't heard back from Ravensburger. Do you happen to know how long the timer is?

Thread: M'n'B: Its Strengths, Weaknesses, along with some Prattle

jollypirate — 2007-02-04T17:57:50+00:00

As a former university instructor and current substitute teacher, I am quite versed in the 203 different types of intelligence that one can have and still fail to grasp the rudimentary use of the English language.

This game(aside from the one who reads the rules) doesn't require any language skills, just the ability to recognize and count numbers and the awareness of the societal standards of green means "go" and red means "stop".

(In fair disclosure the one person who reads the rules needs to be hyper-lingual since the rules are written in what I consider to be an excessive five different languages. I can muddle through German and French, but the Italian and Dutch rules were beyond me. Therefore, I must admit that I might have missed some important rules in those sections.)

Anyway, this game is one (for once) where the English and Poli-Sci majors who raucously argue what the "meaning of the word 'is' is" are going to be left in the dust by your oil-smudged friend who is usually quietly cleaning a carburator in between turns of Die Macher.

Yes, if this had a betting element ala Wits and Wagers, bet on Jake.

But is this a good game for Biff and Tad as well? Why yes, yes it is.

Object: See the picture; build the picture. You have 10 different color blocks that you have to stack to match the picture shown on the card you draw. Some have to just match the layout of the structure, others have to have the colors in the exact same spots.

Gameplay: You roll a die to determine how much time you have to build, and then, one at a time, you draw cards and complete as many structures before time runs out. The structures vary in difficulty and the points they are worth. A full game is 4 rounds.

Fun? You bet. This scratches a tactile itch that isn't fulfilled in too many games, which is reason enough to have it on hand. It also gets one thinking in different ways than a sculpting game like Cranium. There is an exact goal to accomplish, and though there are a few cards that are just plain difficult to complete, the real challenge is to complete them efficiently. The tension of having the timer ticking away adds a lot to this, and the fact that the completed structure needs to be verified keeps the other players engaged in the game.

Unnecessary elements: The number of players "2-4": There is really no reason I can see for stating a max number of players at 4. Each person plays on their own, and there can be no shortage of parts (except for point pieces, which I don't think anyone would be hard pressed to keep score without). In fact, because of the randomness of "the die", which I will get into, it plays much better as a party game, i.e. a game played for fun more than for a sense of victory. Sure, the more players the longer the game, but that could easily be compensated for by reducing the rounds played by one or two, if time was an issue.

The die: I don't mind randomness is games, but here it seems totally unnecessary. The die determines how long you have to build, and rolling a three is a significant advantage over a one. But the building is so much fun that it seems a shame to reduce anyone's time, and there is still enough luck of the draw in the cards that people don't have to feel stupid for losing. Besides, how many games does Jake really get to win anyway?

In the future, I may just play three rounds, with everyone getting one round at each of the time settings. Perhaps, I'll let them choose when to take their time.

Additionally, it makes much more sense to me when playing with people of varying talent/experience with the game to let the noobies set the timer to three and have the others set it to two, rather than sepparating the deck as the rules suggest.

Overall: Fun game. Didn't really "wow" me though. I'll be keeping it on hand, but I doubt it's one I'll push hard for, though I certainly won't refuse a game. 7

Thread: Re: no dice variants

tonyfung1205 — 2007-01-19T18:15:49+00:00

I was once in a game fair. The staff from Ravensburger demostrated this game by throwing the dice only once and apply it to all players. Just like what you describe above as variant 1.

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dougadamsau — 2007-01-01T08:47:28+00:00

The puzzle blocks

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dougadamsau — 2007-01-01T08:19:14+00:00

Rulebook

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dougadamsau — 2007-01-01T08:19:02+00:00

Puzzle cards

Thread: Re: no dice variants

shawn_low — 2006-11-20T06:17:44+00:00

I use a variantion of variant 1:

Each round, the die is rolled and all players play to that time.

I like the idea of variants where players choose their own time but it might seem too easy to choose 3 and rush through a lot of puzzles only to purposely stall towards the end or not flip open another card.

Thread: Re: The Greatest! Unequivocly.

caradoc — 2006-06-12T08:27:05+00:00

I would have to say that in all fairness this review fails to fully capture the essence and brilliance that makes this game the monument it is to human potential.

It does however manage to convey some of the true scintillating glory of this game - that we could add more tribute is beyond doubt - it is just a pity our timer is running short!

Wonderful review.

Thread: The Greatest! Unequivocally.

greatsage — 2006-06-12T04:36:49+00:00

Enter a world of intrigue, deciet, ruthless gods and lilliputians. This is the land of Make 'n' Break where your hopes and dreams are in the hands of a deck of cards and ten players. This game was designed by Jack Lawson and Andrew Lawson who should be awarded with the highest accolades for this game Nobel prizes were not given to these two which I to this day cannot fathom, even though the Nobel prizes are not worthy of being in the presence of this game, anyway enough ranting for now.

The ten players in the game all appear to be simple but beneath their wooden exterior is a character depth that Shadows over camelot wishes it could emulate. Larry Light Green has been likened to Buzz Lightyear for his carefree attitude and surprising assertiveness when pushed he is the leader of the ten. Bobby Brown is the badass of the group, he takes nothing from no-one and doesn't care what people think of him he disrespect him at you peril. Ovid Orange is the suave and sophisticated lad about town of the group he uses his charm and wit to nullify hairy situations. Randy Red is a hyperactive dude who can ruffle a few feathers. Any situation involving him and Bobby is bound to end in fireworks. Doreen Dark Green is an upperclass lady who is often put out by being too close to the riff-raff in Make 'n' Break. Life can be made difficult when her Devonshire tea is served late. Gary Grey is the accountant of the group he often works a thankless job behind the scenes while Larry and others take the glory. Brandi Blue is the girl next door she is always brings a smile to the game and her exhuberance lifts the whole group. Yolanda Yellow is an assertive school master who wishes to usurp Larry as the leader claiming that he is a chauvanist pig who isn't fit to wear green. Yolanda is an excellent task master if Larry is not on the scene so keep them separate. Percy Purple is a mild mannered chap who prefers lens making to conflict. Percy is a difficult character to get to fight for the team, keep Yolanda close to keep him in line. Whittington White is a retired priest who can be slow to act and is the voice of reason who helps to calm the group. Now are the players just simple coloured wooden blocks I think not.

In order to get the players to complete their missions a mission deck is used. This deck consists of configurations of the players which must be emulated. The configurations can either be in a single colour denoting that any combination of our heroes can be used, or the configurations can be in specific colour arrangements where the heroes must be placed in their designated positions and relationships fray. Each mission card has a number in the top right which is the mission difficuly and these get tallied up. A timer with a dial or evil entity like sauron is used and this timer has numbers 1-3. A dice is rolled to determine the number that you turn the dial to. The mission cards are face down, the timer is started and the topmost card is flipped up when this mission is complete another card is turned up to complete and the process continues until the timer stops its maniacal whirring. The total of the completed cards are added to your score after five chukkas the person with the highest score lords over everyone else at the table for a single jiffy and then returns to the normal world.

I was playing this game at a convention recently when I heard a four year old walk past and spit "that game lacks theme" well that puddin' headed, rubber neckin' jive turkey needs a good working over with thumb screws until he can learn to use his freakin' imagination! The game is not just blocks stacked up, it could be a game where you play an Egyptian architect tripping out on papyrus and making the most whacky obelisks, or you could be working at a spacestation signaling to alien races in an unfamilliar language, or a Russian Circus owner tired of Cirque de Soleil getting all the glory and so creates the greatest Human Pyramid on Earth!

A few variants for this game that could work well for those not satisfied with the game in its pure form could be the drinking version where the number on the card corresponds to how many shots of beer you must drink, doesn't sound like much but it will give you a going over for sure. Another variant uses the disaster tiles from Tigris and Euphrates, for each ten points you earn a tile is acquired which can be played during an opponents turn to shake the table and topple their monument.

Overall this is an excellent and unrivalled game that can be played with anywhere from 1 player to the population of the Earth if you can find a convenient time (I am busy for the next hour but after that I am free). The recommended age of eight and above is also rubbish as at the convention I played a game against kids half that age.

Thread: User Review

gnomehome — 2005-03-21T13:53:47+00:00

Stacking blocks is a game ? Maybe it is in kindergarten, but 'serious' gamers can hardly derive a sense of enjoyment of of it, right ?

Wrong, dead wrong. Make 'n Break is a highly enjoyable dexterity game from Ravensburger. It's an ideal filler game, which can be take anywhere from 8' to 48'. I haven't met any player in my regular playing groups, who didn't like it after trying it. It even draws people away from their games to check it out.

The rules :

Simpler rules can hardly be imagined.
You throw a die, which gives you a value of 1,2 or 3. Put the timer on that value. You now have that number of minutes to complete as much block configurations as possible (the configurations are pictured on the playing cards).

Once the clock starts running, the first card is flipped over. If you succesfully complete the design on the card before the timer runs out, the next card is flipped over. Complete this one with time left and the next card is flipped over,....until time runs out. All succesfully completed designs score points. The number of points is indicated on the card (1-3), more difficult designs score more points.

After this play passes to the next player and so on.

After each player has completed 4 rounds, the final score is tallied, with the higher player winning.

The cards in the deck come in two colors, easier designs and more difficult designs. With younger player, you can make two stacks. Each completed card scores one point.
With advanced rules, you can also pass on card to the next player (who receives one point for this). These cards have to be completed in his own turn before others can be drawn.

The material :

Wooden blocks in different colors. The have just the right size - not to big, not to light. Cards are good cardstock - the colors can be recognized for what they are, but do not match the block colors exactly. The designs can be color independent (just stack them in the right shape), but not necessarily so (very nice to see a person starting by putting the dark green block on the bottom, where it should be the light green block...)
The timer seems robust enough to handle some abuse. There is only one thing that can be improved with this game - the scoring chips. They come in values 1 and 10 whichs means that you have to exchange points after the 2nd round of play. Adding a value of 5 would have been a nice touch.

The 'fun'factor :

this one is present in the game (abundantly so). There is something to seeing people 'break' underneath the time pressure. Normally no one would have trouble completing these configurations, add a timer and the simplest plan can go awry. It's also very satisfying to declare a construction to be wrong after the player has painstakingly reached a situation of equilibrium.

Sure the die-roll can be a huge factor, but even that is not decisive (I have played games where I totalled 7 minutes versus 13 minutes from other player and still came out first). People mess things up when they try to work faster to catch up on scores, even if they have more time. This is a game to finish an evening.

When this game hits the table, there are allways a lot of laughs, some healhty frustration and some (mild) cursing. A good time is had by all, and in the end, that is all that matters.

Thread: User Review

msaari — 2005-03-19T12:19:22+00:00

Make'n'Break is a very simple dexterity game. The player in turn takes ten large colourful wooden blocks and a deck of cards. When the timer is started, he or she turns up a card from the deck and must then build the monument depicted in the card. The player continues building monuments until the timer runs out (it's less than minute, I think).

It's all very simple, except some of the monuments. There are two varities: either with colours set or free. Three levels of difficulty with varying rewards (one, two or three points per card) ensure variety within the designs. Some are very easy, some are tricky with balancing. The two-pointers are best, in my opinion: more points, less trouble.

Building the monuments is great fun. The annoying sound of the mechanical timer adds to the tension as the player in turn sweats through the cards. Watching is almost as fun as building.

The game works well thanks to its simplicity. It's fun for families or for gamers looking for quick, physical fun. And forget the four-player limit - we had great time with five, we just dropped one round from the game to keep it shorter. More players should be fine, though downtime might be too much with more than five.

Thread: Re:no dice variants

Geese — 2004-09-03T12:55:24+00:00

I forgot to list another variant:

Make 3 piles of cards, the 1s, 2s, and 3s in separate piles. Play the same rules as the variant 2 above (choosing which time to select) but this time the player can decide which piles to choose from, based on how much time they have left.

Thread: no dice variants

Geese — 2004-09-03T12:21:26+00:00

They only thing I don't like about Make N Break is the randomness of how much time each player gets to build their plans. A couple suggestions:

variant 1 - agree beforehand how much time will always be set on the timer, and keep it the same for all players

variant 2 - allow players to choose for themselves which setting (1,2,3) to use.
If a player chooses 1, then play as normal.

If a player chooses 2 and is caught by the buzzer, then they get no points for the current plan AS WELL AS the least expensive plan they already finished.

If a player chooses 3 and is caught by the buzzer, then they get no points for ANY of the plans they completed.

If a player completes a plan and does not choose a new card, then they cannot be 'caught' by the buzzer.

I think this adds a little more 'push your luck' element to the game. Choosing 1 is playing it safe, while choosing 2 and 3 give you more time to score more points, but also raise the possibility of not scoring full or any points.