Game Comparisons 1: Logic Games-- Pyramix, Mastermind, Otrio

Pyramix and Mastermind are in our regular rotation of games we play as a family.  Otrio gets some play, but not as much as the others. 

--Pyramix--  

Levi:  

1. It is more strategy than luck. 
2. Quick play for newbies.  It takes about 5 minutes to explain the game, plus one round of play before a newbie is proficient enough to be a challenge.  

Ethan:

1. Game play is quick-- it takes about 15 minutes to play.
2. There are multiple strategies to win.  You can take ankhs to win a color or you can just focus on points and go for the eyes and cranes. 

Juliana:

1. You can try to predict what the other player is going to do and stop them.
2. You can plan some moves in advance. 
3. Younger players don't have a disadvantage.

Joy:

1.  The physical setup of the game is appealing.  It is in the shape of a pyramid made of six-sided dice.  As we pull pieces out, the others slide down.
2.  You can play with two, three, or four players.  The game is just as fun with 2 players as it is with 3 or 4 players. 

What we don't like:

1. If you lose one piece, the whole game is ruined.  
2.  There is no way to drop serpents down to the bottom to "poison" other players.  This only happens if serpents already start at the bottom.  This ability could add another layer of strategy to the game. 

--Mastermind--

What we like:  

Levi:

1.  The game is almost all strategy (very little luck at all).
2.   You can try to trick your opponent and play mind games with them. 

Ethan:

1. You can look back at what you have already done to help you figure out what to do next.
2. You don't have to play for a long time.  You can play just one round each, or you can keep playing and add up points. 
3.  You have to keep a poker face to play.

Juliana:

1.  It doesn't take very long to explain.
2. You have to think hard about your moves.

Joy:  

1.  This game is 100% logic-based.  You can apply logic to game play and there is only right or wrong answers. 
2. The game changes each time you set it up (it's all personal choice in how the codemaker wants to create the code. 

What we don't like:

1. So many tiny pegs. 😐  The black/white pegs are especially small and hard for little fingers. 

--Otrio--

Levi:

1. It's a skill-based game (no luck).
2. It's like Tic-Tac-Toe but so much better.  

Ethan:

1. It's hard to get a cat's game.  Someone almost always wins (unlike regular Tic-Tac-Toe).
2. I like that you are all rivals, but sometimes you have to work together to stop someone.
3. I also like that you can force someone else to use a turn to stop a player who is going to win.

Juliana:

1. There are multiple ways to get Otrio.
2. Everybody gets the same amount of pieces.
3. If you go first, there is an advantage (and youngest player usually gets to go first). 
4. It's fun with 2, 3, or 4 players.

Joy:

1. I love the wooden playing board and pieces. They are colorful and appealing.
2. Quick play for newbies.
3. You can set yourself up to win in multiple ways.  This requires planning. 

There's nothing we dislike about Otrio, but we don't play it as often as the others.

Meet Your Game Testers :)

Step 1 is to play play play our games so we get an idea of what we like and don't like about the games we play most.  Here are my favorite (and the cutest) game testers who are (almost) always ready for a game!

Levi --  Age 12 (almost 13!!)

Favorite Game:  Hero Realms

Least Favorite Game:  Monopoly

Ethan -- Age 10

Favorite Game:  Patchwork

Juliana -- Age 8

Favorite Game:  Splendor

Joy -- Ageless

Favorite Game:  I can't pick!  

Least Favorite Games:  Risk, Monopoly