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Kameloot is a set collection game with a traitorous twist! Will you profit as a Hooting Owl, or make the megabucks as a Black Cat? In Kameloot, you can change your mind more often than you change your socks!
Set-Up
This game is ready in a shuffle. Literally. Shuffle the magical objects cards and deal each player 4 cards. The remainder go in the centre and each player receives a tavern token. Hooting Owl or Black Cat? You decide!
Rules
Kameloot is just as easy to learn as it is to set up.
On your turn, you can lay as many of one type of magical object cards as you want. Each card has a number that shows the minimum amount needed to make a complete set. And there has to be that number or more to sell them for precious gold coins.
If you can make up the minimum number or more, you can choose to cash them in by flipping them over to the coin side and placing some or all of them under your tavern token. You don’t actually have to own all the cards in the sets you are collecting. If another player has laid magical objects down, they are up for grabs. You can take them on your turn to make up the magic number needed.
Did I just say you can keep only some of the coins? Just some? Well, friends, this is the twist I was talking about!
The coins you make are divided up between you and anyone else in your tavern on your turn. You always get the first coin. But after that, it’s an equal split (whether they contributed any cards to the set or not!).
If you can’t sell or don’t want to lay cards in case another player is eyeing them up, you can play a card to activate its magical power. Once used, it is placed it in the discard pile next to the deck. And each magical object has a different power. I like the ring which allows you to shout out a specific type of magical object and then hunt through the discard pile for the matching cards. There are also 2 wild unicorn horns that have no special power but can be used to complete any set.
At the end of your turn, you draw back up to 4 cards and the game ends when the deck has been exhausted and nobody can take another turn.
Final Thoughts
We were really pleasantly surprised by Kameloot! We didn’t know what to expect, but really enjoy it as a fun single deck filler with a little more think than your average.
In truth, timing can be everything in this game. Knowing when to flip your own or another player’s token, knowing whether to sell or hold back and knowing whether to activate a power instead are what this game is all about. It means that every decision counts towards your end goal of winning.
We liked the semi-co-operative feeling to Kameloot – you need what other people have, but you are also in it for yourself. You want their cards, but you want to be the only Owl or Black Cat on the block when it comes to selling time.
We also thought the ability to combine actions for maximum effect was great – time it right with powers, sets, and token allegiance, and you can set up a chain reaction that will net you some serious coin on a given turn!
Personally, I am also a big fan of multi-use cards, which in Kameloot are bold and bright. The neat box (which has a lovely magnetic catch by the way) is also eye-catching and doesn’t take up too much shelf space.
The Verdict
Kameloot is a simple to learn set collection game that has a high satisfaction factor. Knowing that the sets you are working on could be nabbed by another player round the table and then shared with another tavern really keeps your eyes and mind on full alert. Some players might find this a little mean, but it really works for us. It does also have a memory element, and there is randomness due to luck of the draw. But the tactical possibilities help to mitigate the luck factor, and for that, I think it is a super, fun, filler game.
