played for you

Der Räuber Hotzenplotz

Hinterhalt im Räuberwald

Hotzenplotz has escaped from the firefighter’s place, but Kasperl, Seppl, Gropmutter and Wachtmeister are hot on his heels, but need the help of suitable cards to catch up with him.

The board is laid out, Hotzenplotz begins on #7, player markers at the start. Movement cards are shuffled and stacked. In turn all draw a first movement card and put it down open-faced. Then, again in turn, all decide if they draw another card or pass for the round. If you draw a new card, you keep it secret and take it up in Hand. This drawing a card or passing till the end of the round continues until all players have passed for the round.

Then you control your cards by lining them up against the control card checking for total value of all cards – if you passed Six with your card you did stumble and must, if possible, move one step back on the track. Then the player or all players, who either achieved Six exactly or have achieved the highest number lower than Six may move – three steps for an exact value of Six and two steps for the highest lower number number. All other markers do not move. When someone did stumble in this round, Hotzenplotz now advances one step, too.

If Hotzenplotz is reached or overtaken, players who managed this, win together; but if Hotzenplotz reaches his cave, all have lost together.

This is an enchanting interpretation of a hunt for the highwayman, the risk element of running in the wood has been interpreted very nicely, and the challenge of drawing/passing provides tactical considerations. The fact that Hotzenplotz only moves if someone stumbles fits topic and mechanism very well.

Players: 2-4

Age: 6+

Time: 20+

Designer: Kai Haferkamp, Markus Nikisch

Artist: Oliver Freudenreich

Price: ca. 13 Euro

Publisher: Haba 2015

Web: www.haba.de

Genre: Move, risk

Users: For children

Version: de

Rules: de

In-game text: no

Comments:

Topic marvelously implemented

Well-working detail mechanisms

Tactical consideration from draw/pass

Beautiful components

Compares to:

Games with stop/risk mechanism

Other editions:

Currently none

Chance (pink): 1

Tactic (turquoise): 2

Strategy (blue): 0

Creativity (dark blue): 0

Knowledge (yellow): 0

Memory (orange): 0

Communication (red): 0

Interaction (brown): 1

Dexterity (green): 0

Action (dark green): 0