Frantic (possibly rabid) creatures are all trying to nab as much pie as possible in Berried Treasure from Restoration Games, and you are one of these creatures! This new pie themed game is a reimplementation of a 1990’s game from designer Sid Sackson. While I never played the original pirate themed card game, Berried Treasure has been a game that the whole family has latched onto.
Sticky Fingers
In the center of the table, pie cards will be laid out in 4 rows. These represent baker’s racks where the pies are cooling. Berried Treasure is played in 3 rounds with a different scoring card being revealed at the start of the round. These reward cards let every player know the value of the 4 different flavored pies during that particular round.
On your turn, pull a card from the end of one of the rows and put it in your personal pie collection. If the pie has the word “MOAR!” on it, you can pull the same flavored pie as long as it’s at the end of a row. If the card you picked has “grabby paws” on it, you can steal that number of identical flavored pies from another player at the table.
Berried Treasure is about timing and being a little devious with your choices. Players often take their turns quickly because they have their eyes on a specific card. The speed of the game makes Berried Treasure a lot of fun!
At the end of each round, players are awarded points based on the scoring card on the table. If two players tie with the same amount of the same flavored pie, then no points are awarded. The player with the next highest amount would receive the points for that flavor.
Food Fight!
I love that your pies carry over from round to round. It’s really common for everyone to try and grab the most valuable flavored pies in round 1. If chocolate pie is worth the most, I find myself holding back, collecting other flavors knowing that in future rounds they could be worth the most.
After each round, Berried Treasure has a great catch-up mechanic. The player with the fewest points steals a single pie from any other player at the table. They also get to start the next round as the first player.
Berried Treasure pits players against one another and I absolutely love it. Players will wait for just the right moment and take a card with “grabby paws,” stealing pies from the player that’s in the lead. It’s even more fun to steal a card from another player which can create a tie scenario where multiple players miss out on scoring a pie flavor during the round.
I know there are some out there that don’t enjoy “take that” mechanics in their games. Sometimes it can feel mean or players use this to gang up on a single player. You really have to be purposeful when you’re targeting another player. There’s a surprising amount of depth when you look around the table and work out the math as you come closer to the end of a round.
After 3 rounds, players compare the points they earn to determine the winner. Since there are only 3 rounds and 4 pie flavors, 1 scoring card will not show up during the course of the game. Players can never be sure if they’re collecting a pie flavor that won’t get a big payout during the game.
Pie for Two
Some games feel like playing with just 2-players was an afterthought. Usually if a game has a separate section of the rulebook for the 2-player count, I usually go into it pessimistically.
After almost a dozen games, Erin and I gave the 2-player variant of Berried Treasure a try. The game shifts into a tug-of-war where both sides are trying to outwit the other. The card setup of the game changes and players are pulling from the side of the pie rack that they are sitting on.
There is a ton of strategy here as you count out turns to decide where you need to pull cards from. It’s rare that there is a “best move” on the table since taking a card is revealing something new and getting you closer to your opponents side of the rack.
Berried Treasure is a slightly different game at 2-players but it’s really fantastic. I would bring this game to the table any day of the week with any player count.
I’m really impressed with how much fun we’ve had with Berried Treasure. It’s a very competitive game that doesn’t overstay its welcome. I love that this game takes around 20 minutes and often we’ll play back-to-back games. Berried Treasure is a great addition to any game shelf as long as you don’t mind having your pies stolen by family and friends.
Purchase Berried Treasure from the Restoration Games webstore or through Amazon today.
This game was provided to us by the publisher for review. Read more about our review policies at One Board Family.
Highs
- Excellent drafting game that plays quickly
- Scoring shifts each round giving lots of room to catch up
- Great filler option for a game night or after dinner game with family
Lows
- Be ready to have your pies stolen!
Complexity
Time Commitment
Replayability
