Shazamm! was a game I purchased sight-unseen after reading the reviews here on BGG, and I'm certainly not disappointed. This is a fast-moving and fun game and one I'd rate as a 7.5/10. It isn't the best game I've ever played, or even the best light, two player game in my collection. But it does play with minimal explanation and has surprising replay value.

Components
The game is very colorful, well-made and intuitive, all of which makes explaining the game and actually playing it very easy. The box is slightly larger than the Kosmos two player series from Rio Grande (ie Lost Cities, Odin's Ravens) and has a colorful glossy picture of a wizard and dragon. Inside, the game has a small playing board, two small pawns, two decks of 15 cards each, two cardboard, glossy wheels to count mana, and three cardboard figures mounted on hard rubber stands, and a collection of cardboard tiles representing "broken" stones. Right out of the box this is a colorful and shiny game. The components are durable and should stand up to lots of playing. The cards have very nicely-drawn pictures and short text describing what each card does (though their function is clarified in files here on BGG). I admire the art and quality here, but personally I would have been alright with a slightly scaled down, "plainer" style of board and smaller box if it would have made the pricetag on Shazamm! somewhat more affordable. This is completely a matter of taste--players that really enjoy the fantasy aspect of the game might get more out of this artwork than I do.

Gameplay
The concept of Shazamm is a wizard's duel fought along a crumbling bridge. Between the clashing wizards is a wall of fire, and the goal of the game is to push the wall of fire toward your opponent, forcing them to retreat backwards, and ultimately pushing them off the bridge.

This is accomplished during a series of rounds, in which the players secretly bid an amount of their mana (basically their wizard energy) to push the firewall toward their opponent. Players begin each series of round with 50 mana, and secretly spend an amount by indicating this number on their cardboard dials. The important thing is that players don't replenish their lost mana until the firewall strikes one wizard (who is then forced backwards on the bridge, and a new series begins). So conserving mana becomes an important factor--one poster here on the BGG mentioned using a "rope a dope" strategy--deliberately bidding low amounts of mana and crushing the opponent who spent lavishly in early rounds. Players track their available mana using two small pawns along a mana track at the edge of the board.

While spending mana to move the firewall is the core of this game, it's made more interesting (and complicated) by the use of spell cards. Each round a player may play one or more spell cards (or may play none. The game includes an interesting "bluffing" mechanic, where there is a zero value "bluff" card, which can be played and put back into the wizard's hand. Other cards are discarded for the rest of the game once used). These spell cards can reposition the firewall, boost the power of the wizard's mana expenditure, help replenish a wizard's mana pool, and/or counter the other player's spells. Like mana usage, spells must be carefully conserved because, once cast, they're used for the rest of the game.

After secretly deciding how much mana to spend and which spells to cast, players reveal their choices, and the player to spend the most mana moves the wall one space in their opponent's direction. A wizard hit by the firewall isn't eliminated, but retreats two spaces. The opponent moves two spaces forward, the firewall is positioned equidistant between them, and both mana pools are replenished. Players start the game with 5 spell cards, and draw three more before starting a new series of rounds. In advanced variants, players can have the whole deck at their disposal at the outset, or prearrange the card order, knowing which spells they'll draw before each round starts. After the wizards' positions have been adjusted, a broken flagstone is added to both ends of the bridge, meaning players are competing on a shrinking field. The game ends when one wizard is forced onto one of these broken stones, that player loses the game.

Assessment
This is essentially a game of resource management and bluffing. Players that conserve mana and cards early can strike back at their opponent, but if you wait too long to unleash your "big guns" in terms of points and cards, you might find yourself backed into a corner and your opponent with a significant lead. I've played this game about five times with a few different opponents, and it seems more enjoyable the more you play with the same partner. The subtle goal here is to win each round by exactly one mana point, since excess mana spent to win each round is wasted (and provides your opponent a chance to retake lost ground in later rounds). So outguessing your opponent is a major part of this game.

The spells add another level of complexity here--one that makes the game a lot of fun. Seeing your exemplary plans foiled by an opponent's card is frustrating, but the game's theme and fast pace prevents this from being a real brain burner (though, if played with the right people, it probably could be).

I originally picked up Shazamm to be a filler game, but it's more than that. It includes several different mechanics and is simple enough to appeal to lots of players. I also think it would be great to play with younger players.

Overall, this is a solid, enjoyable game. I think it's a bit overpriced considering what you get, but perhaps I just overpaid (I see it listed on some online sites for $16 and it's certainly worth that). I recommend this game for anyone looking for a fun and lighthearted game that adds some real bluffing and challenge to a gaming event.