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ladawna — 2006-07-09T21:30:29+00:00

Pure skill / strategy game but cute pieces will work with kids

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ladawna — 2006-07-09T21:25:58+00:00

2 player "full game" in progress

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ladawna — 2006-07-09T21:25:53+00:00

Pferdemist - 2 player in progress (notice board is folded in half to save table space)

Thread: Use horse droppings to teach basic strategy to kids!

ladawna — 2006-07-09T20:02:22+00:00

Pferdemist is an unassuming looking game. Basic fold out board, some round colorful chips, and four colorful wooden figures for each player - painted and supposedly shaped like cartoonish horses, farmers, bunny rabbits and "hunters."

But don't let the childish look fool you. This is an all skill game (no luck other than, maybe, who goes first) that teaches basic chess movements and can introduce kids or other unsuspecting folk to some basics of abstract strategy.

Due to the above, and due the game's good scalability between 1,2 or 4 players, and excellent scalability to age or skill level I would rate this rather highly as a children's game, and recommend it for a smart 6 or 7 year old - or any child up to about 12. (The game box states ages 8 to 102) You can see I currently rate it only a 6 for myself (an adult gamer) but I'll play a few more times and see how it goes.

Inside the Box
The game board folds out and shows four player areas (though everyone plays on at least parts of other players' quadrants). For 1 or 2 players you can fold the board under itself to just show two quadrants and save a little table space. Nice touch! The wooden pieces (there are four for each player) are nicely sized for the board and for a variety of hand sizes, and they have just enough heft to not fall over. But the paint is rather sloppily aligned and the characters are a bit cartoonish. The bright primary colors and cartoonish look might be just right for most 6 through 9 year olds, but I'll admit to feeling a little silly playing it on my own or with my husband. The cardboard chips are also brightly colored, punch out nicely, and fit nicely on the board. Instructions are short and easy to follow. Nothing too much to brag or complain about in the parts department. The rules are in German in the GoodIdeas "Pferdemist" version - but you can get an English here at BGG or through most suppliers.

Horse Droppings!
In each variation of the game (there are a total of 6 variants!) you move the horse token in the same way a Knight moves in chess. In Pferdemist, every time the horse moves he leaves behind a dropping (also known as a "road apple") in the space he left.

Scalability for Number of Players and Age/Skill

One thing I like about this game, in terms of thinking about it as a gateway game for kids, is that there is a solitaire, 2 and 4 player variant that uses just the horse. (In the solitaire version you are trying to fill up your quadrant with the droppings. In the 2 or 4 player versions you are trying to block your opponent(s) from being able to move.) The colorful pieces and board look fun, the game is different with one versus with 2/4 - so it feels like you have two games just using the horse (the easiest to learn and play). But in all cases it is a gentle introduction to how to plan and execute a successful Knight move. These horse-only game variants (the first ones that the instructions walk you through) are easy to grasp and although the game recommends 8 years and up for this game, a smart and supervised / played with 7, 6 or maybe even 5 year old could easily grasp these variants and have fun.

The instructions then introduce the Farmer, who moves similar to a King in Chess - one space in any direction - except that he can also jump the horse droppings. So really, he moves more like a King in Checkers. There is also a solitaire and a 2/4 player version of the game that uses these two pieces. When you combine the Farmer with the Horse (each player can move each piece in his turn) you also get a different goal/victory condition introduced. Rather than just trying to fill up the board with droppings, or block your opponent, you now have to have your farmer move out into the larger board to pick up droppings (he can pick up opponents' droppings only, when he jumps them) and take then back to his garden gate to "plant" -or exchange- for carrot tokens. Yet another game! Once a young player has grasped the horse-only versions of the game, it isn't too big a jump (except maybe for the very youngest of players) to advance to this game.

The final two variants introduce the final two tokens - the bunny rabbit and the "hunter" The rabbit moves like the Bishop in Chess - diagonally as far as he wants to go, as long as he is not blocked by another figure. The "hunter" moves like the Rook - horizontally or vertically. The only difference between the way these players move in Pferdemist vs. Chess is that they cannot stop on a horse dropping. There is an additional dtail about the rabbit's movement when he gets inside a garden to eat carrots (the rabbit's reason for being is to eat your opponents' carrots) Another kudos to the game is how they describe and show the "hunter" figure. He is not holding a rifle/gun. He is holding a carrot. He does not kill or remove the rabbit from the board - he "captures" the rabbit by supposedly luring him with a carrot. The rabbit is then effectively out of the game (can no longer be moved or utilized) but he sits in a little pen on the game board, happy and healthy and alive. A nice touch if you are playing this with kids.

But Is It Fun?
Kids the right age will probably enjoy the characters, the theme, the colors/look, and the variation of play. Horse doo doo! Bunny rabbits trying to sneak a carrot! Farmers planting cute carrots! Hide the rabbit in the den! You captured my bunny! You trapped my horse! You get the idea.. you can make it fun for the kids if you try just a little.

But is it fun for adults? If you are looking for an abstract strategy lighter than chess, can get past the silly theme, and are OK with an occassional lock up (it can happen with two aggressive players, though is unlikely) and are willing to make a couple of house rules as you go (it is unclear for example whether in the full game you can intentionally block your own horse for a move or two) you might enjoy it. My husband loves Chess and I think he feels this is an "okay" outlet. It is lighter, but still gives you the opportunity to try and think ahead to block/outsmart your opponent without unlucky dice or cards or tiles to flip over and ruin your plans. I don't think, however, it will get a ton of mileage with just gaming adults. But it is easy to set up, quick to play, feels light but is really strategic, and we don't really have anything else quite like it - so I think it will stick around for a unique filler game.

However, I think this game might get a lot of mileage in a house with kids in the right age range (6 through 10-ish), especially if they are introduced to it in the right way. An adult could spend a small amount of time introducing the game and playing occassionally, but then could turn the game over to kids to play solitaire or against each other. The variation of players, scalability to age ranges, seems perfect for a growing household. And certainly an opportunity to have a child playing a game of strategy instead of pure luck (like say, Candyland) might be just what you're looking for.

This is my first review posted on BGG. Please let me know if you find it helpful, or if you think I've left anything crucial out in helping you make a decision on whether to purchase the game or not. I'd also be interested in others' experience with the game.

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gonzo104 — 2004-09-26T19:16:17+00:00

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Gecko — 2003-03-07T12:27:09+00:00

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Gecko — 2003-03-07T12:27:07+00:00

Game: Pferdemist

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Thread: Use horse droppings to teach basic strategy to kids!

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