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Infernal contraptions is a lighthearted card-game for 2-4 players.
In it, you play a goblin mechanic attempting to build a large, dangerous machine to attack your rivals attempting to do the same. The rules are rather simple; once you've grasped the basics there are few complexities. This can be seen as either a strength of the game: you can learn it in a few minuites and it dosen't take a huge amount of brain-power, or a weakness: it lacks the depth of strategy of some games.
Victory is achived by removing an opponent's 'Parts Pile'- the deck from which he draws cards. This is done by attaching contraptions to your machine: cards which normally remove cards from either one of your opponents pile, his hand, or add cards to your pile or hand, upgrades: which increase the effeciveness of contraptions, and one-use cards: which generally do a single powerful thing before being removed from the game.
A lot depends on luck; if you draw good cards, you will probably be at an advantage, but some skill and tactical thinking is required, particularly when you take into account the fact that once you begin adding cards to your machine, you limit cards which can be attached due to the four diffeent types of 'connections' which must match up.
The cards themselves are well designed, being clear for gameplay purposes, and quite humerously decorated with grpahical depictions of all the bad things that the devices cause to happen to the bodging goblins. The box is well designed; sturdy and practical, with the rules printed on so as not to be lost, and sufficient space for both the game, and the expansion should you buy it.
All in all, a very fun card game; but not the most strategic game out there. A good time-waster, and an etertaining light-hearted game to take about half an hour. It plays well with 2 or 3, but best with 4.
Rating: 7.5
Reviewed by:
ted.swalwell
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