Pokémon Labyrinth Connect Review

Are you going to become Champion? Or is it time for you to blast off again?

Learning the rules is the first step to becoming Pokémon Champion.

Players take turns placing maze tiles to shift the landscape, connecting paths and reaching Pokémon scattered across the board. Each player has a set number of Pokémon they need to collect by making sure the path they make with the new tile connects seamlessly with the same Pokémon from a different tile. The player who finds all their Pokémon first is the winner, but the ever-changing labyrinth keeps everyone on their toes.

When you lay your tile, it needs to adjoin at least one existing tile to continue the path. Where possible, you should lay your tile so that it leads from the Pokémon on your tile (let’s say Clefairy) to another tile in the labyrinth with another Clefairy. It doesn’t matter how long, winding or complicated that path is, or whether you encounter a different Pokémon like Cubone or Fidough along the way.

If you connect, then you can take that tile featuring the second identical Pokémon (not the tile you just put down) and add it to your pile for a point. However, remember that you can only take the tile if all the remaining tiles remain connected and join up on at least one side. Corner connections aren’t allowed, either.

If you can’t connect a Pokémon on your turn, well, try again next turn! No points for you this round.

Are you a Maze Master? Then you can double or even triple your points by collecting more than two Pokémon that connect to your tile!

At the end of your turn, make sure to draw a tile from the face-down pile to get back up to 2.

Whoever collects the most path tiles once the face-down pile has been used up and all players have discarded all their tiles, wins. That means you had the skills to be NUMBER ONE!

A Maze-ing Fun For Pokémon Trainers

Pokémon Labyrinth Connect certainly has its ups and downs—or, you could say, its Plusles or Minuns.

If you’re a Pokémon fan, you love the feeling of finding a new or favourite creature to catch. This game scratches that itch as it includes a quite a few Pokémon to connect and collect.

However, whilst the included Pokémon are well-chosen, some fans may feel the roster is a bit limited. At the time of writing, there are over 1,000 Pokémon, and honestly, it would be great for a game to omit the usual popular or cutesie species that are picked over and over again in most Pokémon properties. Why can’t we replace Pikachu and Eevee, the ones that always get time to shine, with some random picks? I’d be delighted to discover a Relicanth, Spidops, or Breloom hiding in the brush. I do understand that ’mons like Charizard and Squirtle cast a wider net so that casual as well as super fans can enjoy the games, but I’d still love to give the often-overlooked Pokémon a moment in the sun.

Casting the Pokémon choices aside, the game is a fantastic pick for the whole family. The modular, connectable board design means no two games are exactly alike, enhancing replayability. Its simple, intuitive rules make the game accessible for gamers of all ages—in fact, I’d say that players younger than 7 could give it a good crack too, despite what it says on the box. Its short play time of 20-30 minutes also means it has a lower barrier to entry than a lot of lengthy board games, so you can convince the whole family to give it a go at Christmas this year.

However, my biggest issue isn’t really the game’s fault at all: it’s not the original Labyrinth.

The board in original Labyrinth provides a clear, streamlined basis for gameplay. The classic game requires you to slide maze tiles to reach the treasures without the need for extra modular connections or set up, which can overcomplicate gameplay. Additionally, classic Labyrinth’s simplicity means the focus is on strategy, as players carefully plan each tile slide and path shift to achieve their goals. This gives players a more intense strategic experience. Connect sometimes feels more like a treasure hunt than a clever puzzle, which is a refreshing take on the game when you want something different, but simply doesn’t give me the same fulfilment as the original.

While you can take Connect out with you on your travels, meaning it’ll definitely stay in my board game collection, for me, classic Labyrinth provides a better experience.

Minimise or Growth?

Ultimately, I’d say Pokémon Labyrinth Connect is a fantastic board game to gift to the nostalgic minimalist in your life. Its small size and quick set up makes it easier to take to the pub with you than the classic game. But, if you want the full experience, with more strategy and a robust experience, I’d suggest classic Labyrinth.

And don’t worry, there’s a Pokémon version of that too!