Game: Pick & Pack

Thread: Re: Rush Order questions

Colorado_Jeff — 2008-09-16T02:52:48+00:00

Thanks for the reply!

Thread: Re: Rush Order questions

simonh — 2008-09-16T02:23:36+00:00

A player may store the second Rush Order token before invoking the first. On a subsequent turn the player may use one or both tokens to gain an extra one or two moves that turn.

Thread: Re: Rush Order questions

Colorado_Jeff — 2008-09-15T21:47:27+00:00

I believe it also states (going from memory here) that the Rush Hour can be used in subsequent turns, which implies it can't be used on the turn it is acquired.

So if I already had one of them, and obtained the second, I could immediately use the first one, but would have to hold off using the second until a later turn.

I know I'm over-thinking this, but it did get us wondering when we played for the first time.

Thread: Re: Rush Order questions

JohnnySchmaser — 2008-09-15T21:21:33+00:00

Colorado_Jeff wrote:
Great two player game. Plays fast, but offers much to think about.

May you obtain your second Rush Order if you haven't yet used the first one?

If the answer to that is yes, may you use both extra turns in the same turn, giving you three turns?

That is a good question. I don't know what the official position is on this, but I would assume that ~~because~~ if it does not say otherwise in the rules, you can have both Rush Order tokens and use them both to give you 2 extra turns in a row.

Thread: Rush Order questions

Colorado_Jeff — 2008-09-15T21:03:49+00:00

Great two player game. Plays fast, but offers much to think about.

May you obtain your second Rush Order if you haven't yet used the first one?

If the answer to that is yes, may you use both extra turns in the same turn, giving you three turns?

Thread: Re: Pick & Pack - A Detailed Review

wwscrispin — 2008-09-10T22:10:15+00:00

This feels different to me than the members of the Kosmos line I have played. It is a little more abstract and like the review said no cards. It is zero random element game except for the initial placement of the tiles and there is no hidden information. For me the only correlation with the better members of the Kosmos 2P line is the box size and it is a very good tight game for 2. The theme is well done and none of the actions feel like a mismatch with the theme.

I have found it to be fairly tactical but maybe I just need to get better at it. It usually only takes one quick game for people to get the hang of it and get familiar with the actions.

Even if it does not remind me directly of the Kosmos line, if you are looking for a fun, compact 2P game that is easily accesible for light gamers, but with a moderate thinky edge then this is a great candidate. Since it is available for $13 at most of the online sellers it seems like a simple decision.

Thread: Re: Pick & Pack - A Detailed Review

unixrevolution — 2008-09-10T14:31:07+00:00

Neil Thomson wrote:
unixrevolution wrote:
Is this, in fact, a Kosmos 2-player series game? I noted in my review "How Do You Like Them Apples?" that it was the same size and shape, but I don't see Kosmos anywhere in the images, nor do I see it cited in the game description that it's a Kosmos game.

I have the US version. Maybe the international versions are put out by Kosmos.

Indeed it is not part of the Kosmos line-up and I outline this in the 2nd paragraph at the top of the review.

I just wanted to include it amongst this new series of reviews because of the box size (being identical to) and the fact that many gamers may compare it to titles from the Kosmos series given the price, 2-player nature and game weight on offer.

I really do feel that this game could have found its way into the Kosmos line up if the 'stars' had fallen differently.

I agree that it does feel a lot like the Kosmos series (I have several others in the line, including the ubiquitous Lost Cities, Hera and Zeus, and Hellas), and the Kosmos line will be most of this game's competition at market.

That's what you get for telling me I can skip to what I want, and what I get for doing so

Wonderful review!

Thread: Re: Pick & Pack - A Detailed Review

Neil Thomson — 2008-09-10T14:27:41+00:00

unixrevolution wrote:
Is this, in fact, a Kosmos 2-player series game? I noted in my review "How Do You Like Them Apples?" that it was the same size and shape, but I don't see Kosmos anywhere in the images, nor do I see it cited in the game description that it's a Kosmos game.

I have the US version. Maybe the international versions are put out by Kosmos.

Indeed it is not part of the Kosmos line-up and I outline this in the 2nd paragraph at the top of the review.

I just wanted to include it amongst this new series of reviews because of the box size (being identical to) and the fact that many gamers may compare it to titles from the Kosmos series given the price, 2-player nature and game weight on offer.

I really do feel that this game could have found its way into the Kosmos line up if the 'stars' had fallen differently.

Thread: Re: Pick & Pack - A Detailed Review

unixrevolution — 2008-09-10T14:22:11+00:00

Is this, in fact, a Kosmos 2-player series game? I noted in my review "How Do You Like Them Apples?" that it was the same size and shape, but I don't see Kosmos anywhere in the images, nor do I see it cited in the game description that it's a Kosmos game.

I have the US version. Maybe the international versions are put out by Kosmos.

Thread: Re: Pick & Pack - A Detailed Review

cvandyk — 2008-09-10T13:25:44+00:00

Wonderful review - this one recently came up on my radar so I'll be sure to check it out a bit further. Thanks

Thread: Re: Pick & Pack - A Detailed Review

Bolger — 2008-09-10T07:05:51+00:00

Great review, as always. I have myself tried to make people aware of this little two player gem by mentioning it in the recommendations forum etc. I feel that it really is worth a much better reputation, it feels clearly underrated as it is now. This review will certainly help!

Thread: Re: Pick & Pack - A Detailed Review

JohnnySchmaser — 2008-09-10T03:38:09+00:00

Great review Neil. My son and I love playing this one. It's easy to pick up and play, and he absolutely loves stealing my apples!

Thread: Pick & Pack - A Detailed Review

Neil Thomson — 2008-09-10T02:55:22+00:00

This review continues my series of detailed reviews that attempt to be part review, part resource for anyone not totally familiar with the game. For this reason I expect readers to skip to the sections that are of most interest.

In addition this is the first in a series of reviews that will focus on the Kosmos series of games. Whilst Pick & Pack is not part of that series (being a Z-Man title) it could have easily found its way there and in terms of readers who may want to compare and select a 2-player game, I feel this inclusion is justified.

A full list of titles I plan to review or have reviewed from the series can be found at the bottom of this review.

Summary

Game Type - Abstract Strategy Game
Play Time: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2
Mechanics - Piece Placement/Manipulation
Difficulty - Pick-up & Play (Can be learnt in under 10 minutes)
Components - Excellent

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Image Courtesy of simonh

Overview

Pick & Pack is a 2-player game where each player is in a contest to select the best trays (boxes) of apples to fill their four packing crates. The problem is that only one tray grabbing machine is available so each player must struggle with the other to maneuver it in such a way that they get the 'pick' of the factory floor.

Whilst it may sound like this game has theme, Pick & Pack is in fact a well disguised Abstract Game (not that there is anything wrong with that). This becomes evident in the mechanics of moving the 'Grabber' and the game play itself as the players are required to think 3-4 turns ahead in order to out-position their opposition and gain critical advantages.

The Components

Z-Man Games sometimes come 'under fire' for having less than perfect component quality in their games (usually in relation to card thickness), but no such accusation can be made here. Pick & Pack looks good in all areas and makes you feel like you are in an Apple-Packing Warehouse.

Board - The board features the warehouse floor. The main playing area comprises of 36 squares and this is where the apple trays (boxes) are placed to start the game. The main playing area is then flanked by a set of blue and red boxes. Each coloured set of boxes are located directly opposite from one another. The final feature of note is the two sets of 4 crates. Each player is required to sit behind 1 of the crate sets and all apple trays collected during the course of the game will be placed in these crates.

Unlike most 2-player games however, the adversaries in Pick & Pack do not sit opposite one another. Instead they sit at 90 degrees to each other and this is important to ensure the mechanics of movement work. More on that in the game play section.

It's also worth noting the combination of rusty orange used for the outer board colouring and the metal rivet motif. Together these enhance the sense that the action is taking place in an old warehouse. It's a small touch but I appreciate the effort.

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Image Courtesy of wittdooley

Apple Trays - In all there are 36 tokens that represent each of the Apple Trays that will fill the board or Warehouse Floor. Each token is well illustrated to feature the tray itself (more like wooden boxes really) and the number of apples in each tray. The breakdown of Apple Tray tokens is as follows -

6 Apples per Tray - 1
5 Apples per Tray - 4
4 Apples per Tray - 6
3 Apples per Tray - 7
2 Apples per Tray - 8
1 Apple per Tray - 10

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Image Courtesy of wittdooley

Grabber Pawn - This piece is meant to represent the machine that is used to pick up the Apple Trays and place them in each player's Crates. In reality it is simply a black, wooden cylinder shaped piece. It would have been cool to have a piece with 'spidery' looking legs (that is all I see whenever I look at the box cover for Pick & Pack), but the restrictions of cost are obvious here.

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Image Courtesy of Capitain Grappin

Action Tiles - Then there are the Action Tiles, of which each player gets 12 to start the game. They come in blue and red to ensure they are distinguishable from each other, but both players receive the same 6 types of actions, of which there are 2 of each. These tiles are the same size as the Apple Tray tiles and feature text and simple icons to identify each one. I'll go into more detail as to each one's benefit in the game play section.

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Image Courtesy of simonh

Rules and Storage - The rules were a very easy read and left me with no ambiguity whatsoever. The storage tray is also better than average with well spaced channels that ensure everything fits without too much room for spillage. Call me 'anal' but these features allow me to sleep at night.

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Image Courtesy of wittdooley

The Set-up

Select Colour & Seating Position - Absolutely no advantage to be had here so just pick one already. No I'm not gonna' play Scissor, Paper, Rock for it you idiot! (Sorry joke for the wife - she reads these occasionally)

Apple Trays - These must be mixed at random and then placed onto the board at random. Face-down works best and then the tiles can be flipped once they are in place. Allows for a varied starting set-up with each play.

Place the Grabber - The Grabber is then placed on the Apple Tray that contains 6 apples. This not only allows the start position of the Grabber to be random each game, but it also ensures that neither player can claim the '6 Apple Tray' on their opening move by simply getting 'lucky'.

Allocate Action Tiles - Each player then needs to place their 12 Action Tiles onto the 12 spots designated with their colour. The rules are open here as to how this is carried out. Some players may prefer the 'you place one and then I'll place one' system and others will be happy to place them simultaneously.

From my experience I don't think it matters a whole lot as it will be the movement of the Grabber by each player that determines when these Action Tiles can be used anyway. In other words each game will play quite differently from the last so there really isn't a 'best placement' strategy.

All that takes about 1-2 minutes so Pick & Pack doesn't suffer from that whole 'I want to play that game but couldn't be bothered setting it up' syndrome.

The Game Play

The aim of Pick & Pack is to acquire the highest score with points being earned for every apple that a player manages to collect.

Like any good abstract, the game play is simple to grasp but very challenging to master, with each move having direct implications for both players over the following 3-4 turns.

In short -

Move the Grabber - On a player's turn they must move the 'Grabber' from its current location. Each player is only allowed to move the Grabber in a horizontal direction, but they can move it to any other position in the row where the Grabber is currently located, meaning that a player has 5 possible movement options per turn (at most...see further restrictions later).

Of course because the players are sitting at right angles to each other, each player will indeed be moving the Grabber in a vertical or horizontal direction, relative to one another. If this was not the case the game wouldn't work. The best analogy I can use is to think of those game machines at arcade parlors or pinball centers. You know the ones I mean, they have the Grabber Arm and by using two levers (horizontal and vertical) the aim is to try and grab a 'plush-toy' and drop it in the exit bin.

Pick & Pack's mechanics work effectively like that except each player only controls 1 direction in which the Grabber can move.

The strategy then is in leaving the Grabber in such a position that your opponent is not left with any fantastic moves.

After moving the Grabber, there will usually be one of two results. You will have stopped above an Apple Tray or stopped over an empty square.

Grabbing an Apple Tray - Stopping above an Apple Tray allows a player to take the Tray and place it in one of their Crates. The Tray must be placed in the Crate with the fewest Trays but if several are tied the player has full choice of where it goes. This is another important strategic decision as some action tiles alter the scoring of each Crate and some allow the topmost Apple Trays to be stolen or exchanged. Therefore being able to cover valuable Apple Trays can be important.

Once an Apple Tray is assigned to a Crate the player's turn is over and the other player takes their turn.

Using an Action Tile - Stopping over an empty square in the warehouse allows a player to utilise one of their Action Tiles in that row (provided they have not already been exhausted). Due to the board design each player will start the game with 2 Action Tiles at each end of a row.

The Action Tiles and their effects are as follows -

Premium - Once selected this tile is placed on top of one of the player's scoring Crates. This means that further Apple Trays can no longer be added to a Crate with a Premium Action Tile. The effect is that each apple within the crate is worth 2 points rather than the standard 1.

The decision of when to use a Premium Tile is difficult because you want to get as many apples into the Crate before earning double points, but waiting too long can allow your opponent to negatively affect your crate beforehand. Essentially your opponent could 'upset the apple cart'.

Wholesale - Ditto the above for Premium but this time the tile is placed on one of your opponent's Crates and will half the value of the Crate total (rounded down). Talk about 'Spoiled Fruit'. (Okay I'll stop now).

Quality Control - This action allows a player to take the top most Apple Tray from any one of the opponent's Crates and place it on one of theirs (placement rules still apply).

This requires the players to consider very carefully which Apple Trays they take as gaining a 4, 5 or 6 Apple Tray is pointless if you leave the Grabber in a position whereby your opponent can simply access a Quality Control token and steal it straight away.

These tokens are also nasty as high valued Apple Trays may be exposed for some time thanks to the Crate Placement rule.

Order Mix-up - Similar to Quality Control except this results in a swap of Apple Trays, with the active player choosing which Tray to take and which one to give. Both Trays must be on top of a Crate and the Crates must still be open (not contain a Premium or Wholesale token).

Malfunction - This action is really neat as it allows the active player to flip over any one Apple Tray on the board or Action Token of the opponent. This can be very handy if you calculate that you have no way of stopping your opponent from gaining that 5 or 6 Apple Tray. It is also excellent for denying the enemy a specific action that may have been beneficial to them or detrimental to you.

In some situations it can also be used to force an end to the game. Check out point 4 below to identify how this could work.

All tokens that are not removed from the board are simply flipped to signify that they have been exhausted.

Rush Order - This little sucker is removed from the board and placed in a circle, located to the left of the Crate area. These babies allow a player to take a 2nd consecutive action on any given turn, at the expense of exhausting the token. Taking a double move can be crucial at given moments in the game.

Movement Limitations and End Game - There are some movement limitations that I didn't spell out in detail earlier, for reasons of flow and simplicity.

A player is only allowed to move the Grabber to a square that contains an Apple Tray or to an empty square...provided that they have at least 1 Action Token available to use in that row.

If a player cannot move the Grabber to meet either of these criteria, then the game is declared over and each player adds up their apples, taking into account scoring bonuses and penalties (Premium and Wholesale tokens) with the highest score winning the game.

The Final Word

Pick & Pack is a very well designed game that is tense and thought provoking. You always feel under pressure and in most cases there will always be a negative effect (good opponent options) for that last move you made.

Visual/Spatial skills are required as you try to think ahead and work out how this move would benefit or hinder your opponent, but given you only need to conisder horizontal and vertical direction, this isn't as challenging as some visual/spatial games on the market.

In all there are are total of 97 apples (points) up for grabs before modifiers are factored in. This may suggest that there is a high probability for score blow-outs but once both players have a few games under their belt, the scoring can be incredibly tight.

I must say that I am surprised by the rating it receives (6.78) and the number of plays (barely over 500 at the time of writing this review) as it deserves more credit than that and more exposure.

Perhaps it is the Abstract tag, or maybe Z-Man is not as well known as the Kosmos label in all corners of the globe - I'm not sure.

If it's the Abstract tag that is holding people back I would highlight that this feels far less Abstract than classic titles in the genre. The fact that it features a random set-up and incorporates Action Tiles underlines the fact that there are plenty of different decisions to make and the game would rarely play out the same twice. The visuals are also very enticing.

All I can say is that not being an Abstract Fan, this game intrigues me quite a bit and I am likely to add it to my collection at some point - and I already own over 10 games in the Kosmos 2-Player Series already.

Compared to other Games in the Kosmos 2-Player Series

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Image Courtesy of Gialmere

Well Pick & Pack is certainly more Abstract than any other title in that series. There are no cards here to mix up the play but the components are on an equal footing and Z-Man even went for the same box size, which may be a 'tipped hat' to Kosmos.

I think this works in favour of Pick & Pack as it offers something unique and different from those other offerings.

The play time is also noteworthy. Coming in at 10-20 minutes, it is shorter than many of the games in the Kosmos Series, allowing 2 plays in the time it would take for games like Odin's Ravens or a 'Best of 3' Lost Cities.

Links

Following is a list of games in the Kosmos 2-Player Series (and Pick & Pack) that I have or intend to review in the coming months. Hopefully these are of value to you if you are researching for a good 2-Player game but are unsure of which one to get. I hope to add other games from the series to this list in time (as I currently do not have access to them).

Babel

Balloon Cup

Caesar & Cleopatra

Dracula

Finale

Heave Ho!

Hellas

Hera & Zeus

Jambo

Kahuna

Lost Cities

Odin's Ravens

Thread: Re: How Do You Like Them Apples?

cvandyk — 2008-09-08T01:34:39+00:00

Theme allows reviews to contain horrible puns

I consider this a plus!

Nice review. I'm thinking of picking this up sometime.

Thread: Re: Someone needs to make a nice score sheet for this game!

CasualSax — 2008-08-09T15:54:17+00:00

When I get a chance, I'll work on a more decorative one.

Thread: Pick & Pack Score Card Now Available for Download

CasualSax — 2008-08-08T19:59:51+00:00

I just created and uploaded a score card PDF file, which is available here: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/fileinfo/34341.

Each page contains eight score cards, which can either be left on the sheet or cut out.

The score cards themselves have a spot for the totals of each crate, a place to circle the appropriate multiplier, a place to put the new totals, and a grand total space.

If there are any changes you would like made, let me know and I'll be happy to do so. I'll leave it to someone else to make the Pick & Pack Pencil.

Thread: Re: Someone needs to make a nice score sheet for this game!

CasualSax — 2008-08-08T18:50:35+00:00

Just played for the first time today - I'm on it!

EDIT: Score Card file uploaded, just waiting for admin approval, then I'll make a thread for it.

EDITED AGAIN: Score Card file is approved, and can be found here: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/fileinfo/34341. I also started a thread here: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/331614.

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Joseph Hill — 2008-07-22T23:11:13+00:00

Pick & Pack played at YourTurnMyTurn.com

Thread: Contest Results

simonh — 2008-07-21T17:13:51+00:00

Pick & Pack - Trivia 5 Contest - Results

Here are the results of the contest. Congratulations to fazius who came up with the top score.

fazius - send me your shipping address and I'll send a copy of Pick & Pack your way...

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The Five Questions

(1) How many different houses/apartments have I lived in?

20 - Growing up, my family moved around about every 3-5 years. Then as a young adult, I lodged at a number of places before going to university (4 addresses in 4 years). A number of different residences after that, before moving out to the States. 9 years at my current address is the longest single period at the same address.

(2) At what age did I write my first computer program?

14 - In the late 70's at my school's "Computer Club". We wrote BASIC programs on coding sheets, that were sent off to the local college. We'd get the results back the following week.

(3) How many icons are on my computer desktop?

47 - I tend to keep short-cuts to documents I'm currently working on.

(4) How many paintings are hanging on the walls in my home?

9 - A couple are original watercolors, but most of them are prints.

(5) How many nephews and nieces do I have?

8 - Three on my side of the family, five on my wife's side.

Thanks for playing!

Thread: Re: Time for a Pick N Pack Trivia Contest Again

Morganza — 2008-07-17T00:50:30+00:00

simonh wrote:
Morganza wrote:
simonh wrote:
The Winner

The winning entry will be the geek who achieves the highest score.

How will you break ties?

If there is a tie, I'll send a copy of the game to each of the tied players! (How's that?!)

Ripe for collusion ;-)

(Well, I've already sent in my guesses. Count me out. ;-) )

Thread: Re: Time for a Pick N Pack Trivia Contest Again

UnknownParkerBrother — 2008-07-17T00:41:26+00:00

So basically, you'll reward your biggest stalker.

Thread: Re: Time for a Pick N Pack Trivia Contest Again

simonh — 2008-07-16T21:26:28+00:00

kuhrusty wrote:
simonh wrote:
(4) How many paintings are hanging on the walls in my home?
Paintings, or reproductions of paintings?

Paintings or prints of paintings (watercolor or oil). Not Maps or photographs.

Thread: Re: Time for a Pick N Pack Trivia Contest Again

simonh — 2008-07-16T15:25:26+00:00

Morganza wrote:
simonh wrote:
The Winner

The winning entry will be the geek who achieves the highest score.

How will you break ties?

If there is a tie, I'll send a copy of the game to each of the tied players! (How's that?!)

Thread: Re: Time for a Pick N Pack Trivia Contest Again

kuhrusty — 2008-07-16T06:36:25+00:00

By contestant height, I hope.

Thread: Re: Time for a Pick N Pack Trivia Contest Again

Morganza — 2008-07-16T06:33:47+00:00

simonh wrote:
The Winner

The winning entry will be the geek who achieves the highest score.

How will you break ties?

Thread: Re: Time for a Pick N Pack Trivia Contest Again

kuhrusty — 2008-07-16T06:28:41+00:00

simonh wrote:
(4) How many paintings are hanging on the walls in my home?
Paintings, or reproductions of paintings?

P.S. If anyone is willing to gain access to simonh's home and add/remove paintings as needed, please contact me privately.

Thread: Time for a Pick N Pack Trivia Contest Again

simonh — 2008-07-16T02:02:39+00:00

It has been a while since we held a Pick & Pack contest, so I've decided to offer a new one.

The Questions

Below are 5 questions, the answers to which are all positive integers.

To Enter

Only one entry per user. Send me a PM (subject: "Pick&Pack Trivia-5") with your guesses to the 5 questions. (Subsequent PM's will be discarded).

The Deadline

To qualify, the PM must have a datestamp no later than Saturday July 19th 11:59:59 PM (BGG clock).

Your Score

Your score will be calculated by applying the following formula to each of the questions and summing the results:

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where a is the correct answer, and x is your guess. In other words, a perfect score is 1000; the further your guesses deviate from the correct answers, the smaller your final score will be.

The Winner

The winning entry will be the geek who achieves the highest score.

The Prize

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A copy of Pick & Pack mailed to the shipping address of your choosing.

The Five Questions

(1) How many different houses/apartments have I lived in?
(2) At what age did I write my first computer program?
(3) How many icons are on my computer desktop?
(4) How many paintings are hanging on the walls in my home?
(5) How many nephews and nieces do I have?

Good Luck!

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cnidius — 2008-07-03T05:48:06+00:00

set of all action tiles

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cnidius — 2008-07-03T05:47:38+00:00

board during a game

Thread: Re: Someone needs to make a nice score sheet for this game!

IanthePez — 2008-06-28T13:52:14+00:00

I completely agree with this! Anyone up for it?

Thread: Someone needs to make a nice score sheet for this game!

wwscrispin — 2008-06-10T01:57:12+00:00

I will contribute 5 GG to anyone posting a nice apple themed score sheet for this game. Between 2X and 1/2 value of apples, sometimes my kids lose track of their score. You do not need it but I think this is a game that would benefit from a score sheet.

Thread: Our first games

wwscrispin — 2008-06-08T12:53:35+00:00

I have been picking up more Z-Man games recently because I have liked several that I have been playing. The ones I have seem high quality and interesting to play. So I received Pick & Pack a few days ago and quickly read the rules, which are very short. On the weekend I asked my wife to play a game after we had finished a game of Carcassonne with my kids.

I played 2 games of this with my wife. The first game I showed her the basic mechanism of the apple packing and then introduced the actions by playing them and describing the effect.

We exhausted the apples and used most of our actions but more to use them than always to good effect.

The final score was 68 to 48, in her favor.

I am not sure how she beat me in the first game but I frequently do not win games where I am explaining them to others.

The second game we both played more agressively. My wife wholesaled my best stack and took the initial 6 apple counter but I used the QC and swap actions to take her best apples.

The second game ended with my wife's boxes all closed out while there was still about 20% of the apples left. The final score was 64 to 52 in my favor.

I like the game and I think it fits well with the stack of Kosmos 2-player games that we like.

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Toynan — 2008-05-24T11:20:02+00:00

Near the beginning

Thread: Re: How Do You Like Them Apples?

quentin1 — 2008-04-10T04:24:21+00:00

How Do You Like Them Apples?

Played it a few times and I have to say, I like them apples. I like them alot!

Thread: Re: How Do You Like Them Apples?

unixrevolution — 2008-04-09T16:19:20+00:00

banyan wrote:
The action tiles are a bit like the tactics cards in Battle Line. Some people are just going to hate them for making the game more cut-throat and chaotic, but ultimately I feel that they take a game from being a single, tidy mechanic to being something much more intriguing.

I agree, I like them. But some people aren't prepared for them. Specifically, the non-gamers i play with.

Thread: Re: How Do You Like Them Apples?

banyan — 2008-04-09T16:14:33+00:00

The action tiles are a bit like the tactics cards in Battle Line. Some people are just going to hate them for making the game more cut-throat and chaotic, but ultimately I feel that they take a game from being a single, tidy mechanic to being something much more intriguing.

Thread: How Do You Like Them Apples?

unixrevolution — 2008-04-09T00:23:16+00:00

Introduction

gosh Darnit! That stupid crane is on the fritz again! How am I supposed to get any work done if…

Oh, you must be the new guy. Well, come work these controls. We need to get these apples packaged up. And remember…

You get paid by the apple, not the hour.

Pick and Pack, published by Z-man games and designed by Simon Hunt, is a 2-player game where players are workers in an apple packaging factory. The 6x6 grid of apples on the board contains trays of apples, each containing from 1 to 6 apples each. The goal: to get the most apples into your own boxes and get the most points. The challenge: Each of you operates the picking crane in a different direction.

The A-peel-ing Bits

Pick and Pack comes in a square, mostly flat box. Those who have a Kosmos 2-player game will know what I’m talking about; it’s about the same size as Lost Cities. Inside you will find a board, 36 apple tray tiles, and 24 action tiles (12 in each color). You will also find a full-color rulebook, a black cylinder for “The Crane”, and a nice box insert to keep everything just still enough that it won’t get jumbled, as long as you always lay the box down flat.

The graphics on the game are very good, and very thematic. The tiles are thick and sturdy.

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Courtesy of simonh

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Courtesy of wittdooley

The “Crane” is as generic a bit as I’ve ever seen in a game, but it’s functional.

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Courtesy of Capitaine Grappin

Overall, the quality of the game bits themselves is very good. There is, however, a typo. In the rulebook it says you may move the crane, when in fact you MUST move the crane.

Core Gameplay

In Pick and Pack, players are the operators of a crane. One player moves the crane horizontally, the other vertically. The crane starts on the lone 6-apple crate. During your turn you may:
a. Move the crane to another space in the row or column it is in and
b. Either pick up the apple crate there, or if there is no crate, activate one of the Action Tiles located at either end of the column/row.

If there is no way to do one of those 2 things, the game ends. The apple crates are pretty self explanatory; they are worth points. More apples are good. After you pick them, you must put them in 1 of your 4 crates. You must also put them in the crate with the fewest tiles in it. If there are multiple crates with the “fewest”, you get to choose.

There are 6 types of action tile, and 2 of each type. They are:

Premium: Activate this to cap one of your own crates, doubling the value of apples inside. You may no longer add to this crate.

Wholesale: Activate this, and use it to cap off an opponent’s crate. Wholesale crates count for half value, rounded down.
Rush Orders: Activate it to put it in your Rush Orders stack. Later on, you can cash it in and take 2 simultaneous turns.

Malfunction: Flip over an opponent’s unplayed action tile, taking it out of play, or flip over an apple tray, making it unavailable to pick up.

Quality Control: Use it to steal one of your opponent’s apple trays.

Order Mix-Up: Allows you to swap the top tray in one of your crates for
the top tray in one of your opponent’s crates.

These tiles add some spice to the game, and make it a bit less tedious and analytical, and more tactical. They also allow your opponent to be VERY ANNOYING.

My In-Cider’s Opinion

Pick and Pack is a very cool little 2-player game. Playing in under 30 minutes for me, it’s a lunchtime favorite at work, and plenty of fun when I have just one other gamer available. The mechanism of having one player only able to move one direction means that your optimal move may make something very juicy available for the other player; an action tile or apple tray. It's accessible to everyone, from Granny Smith to a Saucy redhead, and it’s very easy to teach, as well. The only problem is usually “what’s this action tile do again?”

Time for Pros and Cons.

Great components
Interesting theme
Fun movement & pickup mechanism
Action tiles add a little spice
Setup of apple trays is the only random element

The “Crane” is just a wood cylinder.
Action tiles sometimes very confrontational
Setup and Teardown just a tad long for a game this quick
Theme allows reviews to contain horrible puns

Overall, Pick and Pack is a great game. At its core, it’s a fun, fast paced tactical strategy game, providing players with interesting choices along the way, and a little bit of Take-That. When it comes to 2-player goodness, Pick and Pack is the apple of my eye. I rate Pick and Pack an 8 out of 10.

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Capitaine Grappin — 2008-04-08T11:12:56+00:00

The crane

Thread: Re: Pick & Pack -- The Fiona Apple Edition

CovertDad — 2008-03-14T18:51:24+00:00

hibikir wrote:
4 year olds would be able to play it: Understand rows and columns, and that's about it. Chances are someone that young would have no fun with this one though.

Not quite as young, but my 5-year-old LOVES to play this game...

Thread: Re: "May" or "Must" move the Picker?

unixrevolution — 2008-02-27T01:52:49+00:00

Thosw wrote:
It almost adds another level of strategy to the game to make the grabber move optional, since you can choose to take a less desirable crate of apples in order to keep your opponent from using an action tile you'd rather they didn't have access to at that time.

I liken it to Eve and the serpent inna gadda da vida. Can I tempt you to move to a row to take a crate that has an action tile in it I want to use, but couldn't get to?

With the grabber move optional, the player can activate the square they're on, or move to any other square in that row. With it manditory, wherever they are NOW is unavailable and adds to the strategy.

Thread: Re: Ending the Game

simonh — 2008-02-20T01:03:35+00:00

The answer to your question is "yes, you would have to lose apples in order to end the game."

You cannot voluntarily end the game if an action is still available to be played, even if that action is detrimental to your score (as in your example).

Thread: Ending the Game

Card — 2008-02-20T00:38:45+00:00

Quick question - The end game second condition says game ends when a player has no valid move for the grabber.

Does that mean grabbing apples? Or Actions as well?

I ask because say all the apples are gone but you still have one or two order mix-up action in which swapping top tiles would give you less apples. Say trading 3 for 1.

Do you have to lose apples in order to end the game?

Thanks.

[edit]

Thanks so much for the quick responce. =) Great game.

Thread: Re: "May" or "Must" move the Picker?

Thosw — 2008-02-08T20:47:09+00:00

It almost adds another level of strategy to the game to make the grabber move optional, since you can choose to take a less desirable crate of apples in order to keep your opponent from using an action tile you'd rather they didn't have access to at that time.

I liken it to Eve and the serpent inna gadda da vida. Can I tempt you to move to a row to take a crate that has an action tile in it I want to use, but couldn't get to?

Thread: Re: WHAT's the word on Pick & Pack?

Tomaton — 2008-01-05T23:19:38+00:00

I like the layout of your review, content, summary, review and rating. Exactly what I need in a review. Thanks!

Thread: Re: couple quick clarifications

simonh — 2008-01-05T22:39:18+00:00

cmdr layman wrote:
i assume the player has the option to play an action tile on his turn after grabbing an apple tray?
No, it's an either/or thing. Either you move the pawn to a square containing a tray of apples and you take the apples, or you move the pawn to an empty square and activate an action tile at one or other end of the corresponding column.

cmdr layman wrote:
Unplayable spaces: rules say a player cant move the grabber to a space which has a face down tray tile.
The Malfunction action gives the player an option to turn face down any apple tray tile still on the 6x6 grid. It is these tiles that the rules refer to when they say "Nor may he move the grabber to a space which has a face down tray tile on it."

cmdr layman wrote:
the example in the rules show 2 face down tray tiles.
The example (at the top of page 4) shows two face down Action tiles - not tray tiles.

cmdr layman wrote:
can a player move the grabber to a space w/ 1 face down and 1 available(face up) action tile, thereby activating that face up tile?
Yes - when the player moves the grabber to an empty space (on the 6x6 grid) where there is one face up and one face down action tile at the corresponding ends of the column, the player activates the face up action.

Thread: Re: couple quick clarifications

Merg — 2008-01-05T21:14:03+00:00

Our 'interpretation' of the rules.

cmdr layman wrote:
i assume the player has the option to play an action tile on his turn after grabbing an apple tray?

That's not how we play it. First the apple tile needs to be taken and then if you move the grabber on it again you can activate the action tile. (Enhances the importance of the 'Rush Hour' action.

cmdr layman wrote:
can a player move the grabber to a space w/ 1 face down and 1 available(face up) action tile, thereby activating that face up tile?

This is how we play it.

Thread: couple quick clarifications

cmdr layman — 2008-01-05T20:54:52+00:00

i assume the player has the option to play an action tile on his turn after grabbing an apple tray?
Unplayable spaces: rules say a player cant move the grabber to a space which has a face down tray tile. the example in the rules show 2 face down tray tiles. can a player move the grabber to a space w/ 1 face down and 1 available(face up) action tile, thereby activating that face up tile?

Thread: Pick & Pack - initial impressions

Merg — 2008-01-02T17:37:08+00:00

The last day of 2007 a package from Z-Man games came through with Pick & Pack in it. Hurray! What a great end-of-year present and we (my 8 year old son and I) immediately tried it out. (And so making it the last game played of 2007. :-)

The game comes in a nice box with all the pieces already nicely tucked away in their placeholders. (No pre-cut cardboard, it's ready to play!) I just love the artwork from the box cover, and the board is also original. The artwork on the tiles is also in line with the rest. The only thing that required some imagination was the 'pick-arm' which is represented by a black cylinder. Works perfectly fine for the game, but my son expected a more claw-like piece. :-)

We quickly placed the tiles (6x6 grid with crates of apples (containing 1 through 6 apples), and 2x2 rows of 6 action tiles on the sides), explained the action tiles and started 'picking'. The first game the focus was on just grabbing the apples, not the action tiles. Mostly since my son needed to get used to the exact action tiles details. (Not native English.) The subsequent games where already a nice combination of picking the good crates combining with playing/blocking action tiles.

When picking an apple crate you need to check which crates you make available for the other player (since he picks crates from the other row you're playing on) and also keep an eye to the actions. The action tiles influence both sides ( i.e. make a stack of your apples premium (so they count double) or make one of the other players stacks wholesale (halve the value). Once a stack is closed, you can't add any more crates to it, so you need to time your actions (and playing a sequence of rush-hours action tiles e.g. can be very handy - you can do an extra turn).

The game plays very smoothly and since the apples and action tiles are rearranged every game is a fresh 'challenge'. :-) So, in all, a simple yet addictive game for two players. The theme is fun and appropriate for the game mechanic. Only one small enhancement is perhaps that all action tiles could be represented with an image depicting the action instead of words, so non-native English players can grasp the actions quicker. (Although this is only the first games they'd have to check the correct action.)

Our rating, a solid 7.

Thread: Re: Pick Something!! Contest #3

El Jefe — 2007-12-23T21:16:06+00:00

GAH! Dang it Aldie! Your choice has destroyed me!!!

Thread: Re: Pick Something!! Contest #3

LetsGetTrivial — 2007-12-23T14:48:26+00:00

Wow. I think I actually picked wrong in every category. I guess that makes me part of the majority

Congrats to the winners.

Thread: Re: Pick Something!! Contest #3

Merg — 2007-12-23T07:59:29+00:00

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to Simon for the original contest.

Thread: Re: Pick Something!! Contest #3

BaSL — 2007-12-23T07:16:28+00:00

Congrats!

Thread: Re: Pick Something!! Contest #3

simonh — 2007-12-22T18:23:28+00:00

Results Posted
(See the top of this thread)

Thread: Re: Pick Something!! Contest #3

simonh — 2007-12-21T20:34:59+00:00

Contest ends at midnight tonight!

Thread: Re: Pick Something!! Contest #3

simonh — 2007-12-20T18:29:28+00:00

Just a couple of days left to enter.. 104 entries now.

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simonh — 2007-12-15T03:29:54+00:00

The bottom of the box

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buddytsl — 2007-12-01T04:35:41+00:00

Pick & Pack signed by designer

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simonh — 2007-11-27T19:25:29+00:00

The distribution of apple tiles...

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simonh — 2007-11-27T19:24:56+00:00

The Action Tiles. Each player gets 12 (2 each of 6 types)

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wittdooley — 2007-11-25T19:02:21+00:00

Pick & Pack -- Two Ready to Go Boxes! Ship em' Out!