In this house, we game.
My husband and I play board games all the time. We like them all. You name it, we’ve probably played it, or at least heard of it.
For awhile now we’ve been on the hunt for a new game. We just need something fresh.
We’re both so thrilled that we found a new one!
Chickapig is just what we were missing.
This new, fun game is perfect for anyone who loves to play games. It’s fun, so easy to learn, and can be strategic or not. It’s perfect for anyone, really.
Brian Calhoun is a custom guitar maker to country and rock legends in the music biz. He is the brains behind this new, great game. Brian joined forces with his buddy Dave Matthews in an effort to get his game to tables across the country.
Yes people, you read that right. Dave Matthews is one of the creators of this game.
Pretty cool.
The Design:
Chickapig is one of the prettiest designed games I’ve played. My favorite part of the game is the pieces.
They’re made of wood.
Literal, actual wood.
So cool.
The pieces are durable too; the thickness gives them a nice, hearty feel.
I like the design because it’s simple and farm – like. Wood pieces, simple art work, rustic color and style; it’s great. Just as their slogan states: A farm to table game.
Quick recommendation – read the directions throughly. My husband was in charge of reading, learning, then explaining to the rest of us. He failed. To give him the benefit of the doubt; there are a lot of small little rules where, if you have them slightly wrong, the game changes drastically. We were playing wrong here and there, but kept the directions close so we could check if we had a question.
The Play:
Check this video out for a quick guide on how to play.
So, you totally get it now, right?
You can take my word for it when I say this game is easy to learn.
See those green rectangles? Those are like goal posts; you’re trying to get your corresponding pigs (green, in this case) through the goal.
Similarly to chess you start across the board and move towards your goal. Just roll the die to see how many moves you have. Then get your Chickapig to the other side!
The catch though, the other players are trying to keep you out of your goal AND get their pigs through their goal.
The other catch – there’s a cow that can poop on the board.
Nobody likes poop, amirite?
The pooping cow causes a player to pick up a poop cards. Poop cards are bad; they force you to do something that will hinder your chances of winning.
Not cool.
Good news is you can get a flower card.
This card is super good and gives you a great advantage over the other opponents. When you roll a two you have the option to move two spaces OR take a flower card.
Always take the flower card. Trust me.
Not only is Chickapig easy to learn, it can be played quickly.
In about 15 minutes me and three others were playing the game and understanding it well. The first game took about 25 minutes. We started out a bit slow, as we were learning, then by the end we felt we had a pretty good hang of it.
I like the game because there is some offense and defense that needs to be played. Play too much offense and you give someone the upper hand, play too much defense and you’ll never win. They’re gotta be balance, I like that in a game.
I also really like how you can work together with your opponents to accomplish a task. Whether it be blocking someone, or making the cow poop; if you just play an individual game it’s pretty hard to win.
Do me a favor and give Chickapig a try. It really is a great game that will entertain you and give you a laugh. It’s easy, fun, and quick!
Check out Little Joe Chickapig too. An adorable, rhyming children’s book, written by Brian, that was just released!