The customers are lining up and you’ll need speed and accuracy to please the diverse characters that are ordering these tasty drinks. Bubble Tea from Renegade Game Studio is a real-time matching game that has some really fun components. Let’s see if this game is as refreshing as the drink it’s named after.
Two Ways to Play
Bubble Tea comes with two different ways to play the game. My youngest daughter who is 11 has probably enjoyed it the most and she’s a pretty fierce competitor.
The first game type has a player mixing 6 wooden dice in a clear mixing container that is totally unnecessary but extremely cool. Because of this mixer, the game has great table presence and is really tactile for players. It’s fun and loud when someone is shaking the dice as you get ready to make your bubble tea creation.
When the dice are rolled, players use one of 2 double-sided cup cards. This is what the base of your bubble tea will be made from. Players have to quickly sort and arrange their 9 clear plastic ingredient cards. The ingredients are laid out on a grid and you’ll have to stack these cards to show the specific number and type of ingredients that appear on the dice. Similar to games like Dr. Eureka and Jetpack Joyride, you’re essentially solving a puzzle against the other players at the table.
The first player to correctly make the drink order covers the dice with the shaker top. You check to make sure the order was made correctly and the winner is awarded a customer card. The first to earn 3 customer cards wins the game.
The second game type has players holding a hand of customer cards. The goal is the same but doesn’t use the dice. This is a great option if kids are playing in a space that they may need to be a little quieter. Each player will work to match the order on the back of the customer card they choose from their hand. The first player to complete the customers order will be awarded points on the card. When the round is over, players pass their hand of cards to the left.
Since each customer has a difficulty number, sometimes if a player is behind in points, it makes sense for them to try a more difficult card to catch up. This can also be a great option when playing with kids, having the adults pick more difficult orders to fill.
Gaming with Kids
Bubble Tea is a really great mix of puzzles, matching and dexterity in a really cute package. I really like that Bubble Tea will bring kids as young as 5 to the game table while still being silly fun for adults.
My only concern with Bubble Tea is how quickly the components might degrade. The wooden dice are well made but stickers have to be applied before playing the game. I worry that these stickers are going to struggle to hold on a couple years down the road. The clear ingredients cards are really well made but get scuffed within the first play of the game. This last issue may just be something I find annoying. It definitely doesn’t impede the fun that the game brings.
This is a great purchase for families with kids and is a great option for purchasing for a kids birthday. Bubble Tea has a lot of replay value and has some really fun components. I’m really glad that my youngest took to this game so quickly because it means we’re going to share more fun times around the table with Bubble Tea.
You can purchase Bubble Tea at your local game store or order it from Amazon today.
Renegade Game Studio provided us with a retail copy of Bubble Tea for this review. This in no way influenced our opinion of the game.
Highs
- Two game modes add variety
- Very colorful and cute illustrations
- Excellent components
- Great for kids or kids and adults
Lows
- Component wear could be a concern
- Not for people who like speed games