I’m a sucker for party games. When you can get 8 to 10 people around a table and have a good time, that’s a beautiful thing. Early this Summer I heard about a game called Flick ‘Em Up that sounded like a game I had to buy. At around $60, there was no way this would happen on our budget. Thankfully, Z-Man Games put together a more accessible version of Flick ‘Em Up for those of us on a budget. Today I’ll be reviewing the 2016 release of the game that is known as the “wider audience edition” that hit stores in August.
The Wild Wild West
This game supports up to 10 players and consists of two teams. One team is a band of Outlaws and the other is the local Sheriff and his men. The setup for this game takes about 15 minutes and there are 10 scenarios layed out in the instruction manual. Some of these have objectives like robbing a bank or planting explosives and others are just old fashion shoot-outs. You’ll need a good sized table to handle Flick ‘Em Up. The more stable the table, the better.
The theme of this game is amazing and it’s only a matter of time before you find a Western themed Pandora channel on your phone to set the mood. Once you set up the town, the different obstacles and your people, you’re ready to take on your opponent.
Flick ‘Em Up is a dexterity game that requires players to flick a disc across the table to move their players. Using a smaller black disc, you can flick and knock out your opponent to wound and eventually kill them. It takes some skill to position your player directly behind a cactus and keep them out of sight from the other team. Not everyone will be amazing at this game, but even when you’re losing, there are so many fun and tense moments.
When playing with teams, it’s very easy to play even with an odd number of players. There have been multiple times where we’ve played two vs. three and had a great time. Teams alternate turns and game play is still really smooth.
All the Fun, Half the Size
The 2015 edition of the game comes in a large wooden box, has incredibly nice wooden pieces and is the luxury vehicle of this particular game. Since we’re on a budget, getting this “wider audience edition” made more sense. At almost $20 less (original retail price), we knew that some compromises had to be made.
The pieces in this set are all plastic and can feel a little cheap in comparison. The new box is the perfect size for our game shelf and it’s more than 50% smaller than the original game box that was all wood. Our family loves that Z-Man Games made this new edition because the previous one was just not affordable for us.
If you have the money, the 2015 release is really nice and the wooden pieces are fantastic. On the other hand, the game experience and the fun is all present in the cheaper edition that we purchased.
What Makes Flick ‘Em Up Special?
The thing that surprised me the most about Flick ‘Em Up was that so many people wanted to check the game out. Our gaming friends loved it, our kids have had a ton of fun and even our board game skeptical extended family has had a blast.
Flick ‘Em Up is not your normal “sit down and play” game. That’s why we love it so much. It gets people around the table, standing up and even cheering. The game can be a little frustrating when you’re flicking terribly. But even in those moments, it’s hard not to love the cute little cardboard western town that fills our dining room table.
You can order the original Flick ‘Em Up or the “wider audience edition” on Amazon or pick it up at your local board game shop.
