Hummingbirds is a new game from designer Jason Tremblay (TACTA). Players are focused on a central display as they play their hummingbird tokens, timing it out perfectly to score nectar as often as they can. The whole game is just over ten minutes and straddles the line between “game” and social activity.
Timing is Everything
Before your first play of Hummingbirds, you’ll build the central display that will play host to over a dozen sand timers. Thankfully, after the initial five minute build, everything fits back in the box without having to disassemble the display. The color-coded sand timers range from four 30-second timers up to a single 10-minute timer.
Each player is given two hummingbird tokens in their player color. These magnetic hummingbirds will be used to claim space in the central display and also pull up the sand timer that it sits on top of.
On your turn, you can either place a hummingbird token on top of a sand timer OR pull up one of your previously placed hummingbirds, checking the sand timer beneath. The sand timers represent nectar which can only be collected if a sand timer has run out of time. If you have both your hummingbirds on timers already, you can move one of them to a different timer on your turn.
Players are aiming to pull up a sand timer AFTER all the sand has run out. The only problem is that you cannot see how far along any of the timers have progressed. This game is all about intuition and trying to keep a mental clock of how much time has passed. When a player pulls up a timer that has run out of sand, they score a nectar point token of that color. The timer gets flipped over, set back into the tube, and the player gets their hummingbird token back.
Natures Tiny Marvel
In the early game it makes sense to grab some easy points. Placing a hummingbird on a purple 30-second timer means that you can pull that one up after two passes around the table and score a single point. Placing your hummingbird on a higher value timer early on means that your token will sit on the central board for a while before you actually get to earn any points.
Hummingbirds is a game that moves at a nice pace. On your turn you have around 3-seconds to make your decision and place, move, or pull up one of your hummingbirds. The rules are explicit that delaying or passing time when it comes to your turn is prohibited.
Once a player places their hummingbird on a timer, it blocks other players from claiming it until their token is removed. Hummingbirds has a nice balance to it. A player can earn a point at a time jumping between the purple timers or they can play the long game, setting one of their tokens on a 5-minute timer and earning 20 points if they time it out properly.
Time Keeps on Slipping
A game of Hummingbirds ends when all nectar tokens of a single color have been depleted. Most of the games we’ve played ended when the single 10-minute timer was claimed since there is only one twenty-five point token for this one.
Hummingbirds is a really interesting game. It immediately brings people close together as they hover over the board, waiting for other players to make a mistake. When a player pulls up a timer that still has sand at the top, that player loses control over that timer and has to remove their hummingbird token. Players that are paying attention will immediately jump onto that timer if it’s still empty when their turn comes around.
The game is incredibly engaging which feels like its biggest draw. Players have no downtime, no time to get bored, and no time to pick up a mobile device and zone out. I ask players to remove their watches when playing so that no one has an unfair advantage when trying to determine how much time has passed.
I began my first game of Hummingbirds thinking “How hard is it to mentally keep track of a 3-minute timer?” Apparently, it’s pretty tough. Players can feel really confident when pulling up a timer, just to find a couple grains of sand taunting them as they lose control of the timer. When this happens, the player will lose their smallest point token back to the general supply.
This is where claiming those single point tokens for the 30-second timers is absolutely necessary. We’ve seen players going for bigger points just to lose five or ten point tokens because they ignore those 30-second timers.
Even though the central display fits back into the box without being broken down, I have some concern with the longevity of this piece. Each time you set up the game you’ll slide the colored tubes into the appropriate slots. I’m being very cautious with each setup because I can see this becoming loose with time or damaging the cardboard edges if I’m not careful. Only time is going to tell if this is actually going to be an issue, but it’s worth mentioning.
Final Thoughts
Hummingbirds shines as a social activity and a really engaging filler game. I’m surprised by how tough it was for me to keep track of the timers that I committed my hummingbird tokens to. This is a game that gamers of every skill level can jump into. I’m not sure Hummingbirds will be a big hit for anyone looking for strategic depth.
I’ve mentioned before that my wife, Erin, is not a fan of real-time games. Hummingbirds is a real-time game but almost fits into a different category. It never feels chaotic and players really aren’t being rushed along. You’re in control with where you place your hummingbird tokens and when you pull up a timer. Just be aware that you can’t have analysis paralysis when your turn comes around.
I really enjoyed the unique experience that Hummingbirds brings to the table. I know that it’s not going to be deep enough for some gamers, but it’s definitely going to be a hit for families and gamers who are looking for an engaging fifteen minute filler.
Hummingbirds is now available at your local game store, at your local Target store, 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
- Gameplay is quick, easy to understand, and easy to teach
- Almost no down time during the game
- Eye catching and fun components throughout
- Magnetic hummingbirds and timers work really well
Lows
- Frequent setup and breakdown may wear down the central board
Complexity
Time Commitment
Replayability
