Boop

Boop. Such an innocent, unassuming game. Right? I mean look at it. Cute kitties, childish demeanour, and charming aesthetics. You would be forgiven for thinking that this game is a simple little child’s game.

In reality, Boop is a tactical masterclass in subterfuge, underhanded tactics, and mental warfare. That might be a slight exaggeration. It is a devilishly crunchy game though hiding under very simple mechanics.

With my reviews I always try and get as in-depth as I can. But with Boop being such a small game, I will just spoil the review right here: it surprised me, and I genuinely recommend it to any fan of abstract games. Want to know why? Then read on…

Kittens are Playful by Nature

During my gaming adventures in the realm of board gaming, I have discovered something. I tend to enjoy games that innovate and iterate on really simple mechanics from games from my youth. Marrakech does this with roll and move that we all learned with games like snakes and ladders and Monopoly. Menara does this with dexterity building from the likes of Jenga. And I would even argue that app driven narrative games such as Freelancers, Mansions of Madness and Destines have developed from Atmosfear. Shout out to all of the 6 people in the world that owned the original Atmosfear game. Boop does this with the connecting 4 in a row mechanic found in games such as, well, Connect Four. Only instead of 4 it is 3. And instead of lifeless plastic discs, it is cute kitties.

In Boop you will be placing your kittens onto a small 6×6 grid. Whenever you place a kitten, it pushes (or boops) all other kittens that are adjacent (including diagonally) away by a space. Yours and your opponents. If after you have moved the kittens away and you form a line of 3 kittens, they are removed from play and you will take 3 cats into your reserve instead. Continue upgrading kittens into cats and try to be the first with 3 cats in a line to win the game. It is a simple and clear victory condition, but one that has more depth to it than first meets the eye. I really love Boop. It can be refreshing to play a game that is both simple and unique in its approach. It is not a game that outstays its welcome as each game only takes a few minutes and can be ‘thinky’ enough to please those that enjoy more strategic abstract strategy games. With little rules such as pieces that are booped off the board are returned to their owner’s reserve and kittens not being able to boop cats, it creates some fun moments in the game. And it leaves the board open to some ‘didn’t see that coming’ moments.

Emptying the Litter Tray

Usually this would be the part of the review where I tell you about the things that I didn’t like, or things that I think you should be aware of. The good thing about a game like Boop is that as soon as you see how it plays, you are going to know if this is a game you will like. If you enjoy tight little abstract games like Onitama or Yinsh then this will be right up your alley.

The only real thing that Boop has working against it in my opinion is its own theme. Whilst it is a theme in title alone, the cute cat theme draped over a crunchy game gives mixed signals. I saw the box months before I even played the game, as I presumed it was a very different game than it is. If you are trying to attract gamers that are into abstract strategy games, their eyes are not used to looking out for cute themes. The kind of gamers who’s eyes are attracted to the theme, such as younger gamers or casual gamers, may not enjoy the gameplay. It suffers the same kind of pre-expectations people have when they see the Calico box before seeing the game inside. But luckily that is where reviews like this come in handy.

I genuinely don’t have anything negative to say about Boop itself. The only kind of things the game suffers from are the same as every other small box game. Such as replayability and lack of content. But even in those instances Boop overcomes them by being cheap, doesn’t try to be anything it isn’t and is unique enough to stand out in a gamer’s collection. And when you feel like you have run dry with it a little, there is BOOoop you can try that changes the formula up a little. And we even have Boop the Halls releasing soon (at time of writing) so if you enjoy the gameplay loop of Boop then there is more available to you.

Final Thoughts

Boop is a charming little box game. It is fun and offers a deceptively strategic gameplay loop with a cute theme draped over the top. It makes for a great game for most collections as it is pretty unique and can be an excellent, dare I say purr-fect choice to introduce gamers to abstract strategy games. I had to include at least one pun somewhere!

Boop is a game that I can highly recommend you give a go! Happy gaming!