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When I was given the opportunity to review the new Kickstarter card game Dodgy Dogs, developed by Yolky Games, I'd never seen as much joy on my partner’s face! She absolutely adores dogs so telling her we had the opportunity to try a card game that is based on such animals; she could not wait to get playing it.
The premise of the game is simple. Each player starts with seven cards, these cards showing a breed of dog doing a particular action like every naughty dog would do. Players then take it in turns playing cards, ensuring each card played either matches the size of the dog (small, medium, large and massive, all represented by a separate colour) or the behaviour of the dog, anything from digging and biting, to stealing and humping!
Play continues until a player can’t play a card. They then have to draw a maximum of three cards from the deck, one at a time and either play a card that matches or if none do, take all three cards. The action cards also add an additional element to the game. The puppies card forces players to pick up a set amount of cards, Dog Whisperer allows the play to whisper a behaviour to the next player and they have to play that and the Wild Card means each players hand moves to the left, really mixing the game up!
There is also a Leader of the Pack card for each size category which allows players to discard all of the cards of the same size along with that card. This all continues until one player gets rid of all their cards and is declared the winner!
When first playing Dodgy Dogs, it was clear this particular game drew similarities from the ever popular family card game, UNO with the four colours representing the size of the dogs, the different behaviours on each card and the wild cards.
Dodgy Dogs works in a very similar way as well, the mechanics and the turns all being similar. That said, this game gives us so much more! First off, the illustrations are fantastic! Yolky Games decided to bring in the famous French artist Jean Jullien to illustrate the game and this has created a beautiful deck of cards! Jean’s style is very distinctive and fits so well with the theme of the game! I challenge you to play this game without first admiring the wonderful artwork found on each card!
The wild cards are completely different to that of UNO. Being able to play one card to switch up the gameplay by swapping hands is fantastic and a great mechanic to keep the game going. The whole “dodgy dog” theme gives this game an edge over its competition. It won the heart of my partner immediately, be it mainly for the cute pictures of the dogs, and I think this game will become a hit with families for just the theme alone.
After playing a few games of this I have to admit, I felt bad for comparing this game to others. While the mechanics are similar, the game itself, as a whole, is so unique! This is by no means the first game to copy an age old game mechanic and it sure won’t be the last. The theme and the design lets players overlook this and see a game that it is fun and cheeky to play!
The game is incredibly versatile as well! If you want to play as a large group, simply add another deck of cards and you’re ready to go. It is so easy to get to grips with, so new players will be playing in no time at all, something I really like from games.
Overall, it is fair to say that the way this game is played is nothing new. But, what Dodgy Dogs does do is introduce a fantastic theme, with beautiful artwork which work together in perfect harmony to deliver a game that is great for all the family. Who wouldn’t want a deck of beautifully illustrated dog cards; apart from you cat lovers out there! (There we go Yolky Games, a new idea for you, Calamitous Cats!) My partner and I had a great time playing this game, its simplicity and style shining through and I am sure those who do play it will enjoy it as much as we did!
As mentioned already, Yolky Games currently have a Kickstarter campaign running for Dodgy Dogs where you can pledge for various different rewards! If you want your actual dog to be in the game, you can do this! Pledge £1,000 and Jean will illustrate your dog into the game for you. But hurry, only one of these is still available. They have already smashed their goal with over 1500 backers so please go and check it out! They have just announced some stretch goals as well so now is a better time than ever to get your pledge in.
