The Champion of the Wild (2018) Board Game

The Champion of the Wild is a party game that was released in in 2018. Designed by Kevin Chapman, Dave Heaton, and Dan Misson, this game revolves around animals and challenges players to come up with the best arguments to convince others why their chosen animal would win in a variety of different sporting events.

Game Components of The Champion of the Wild

Animal cards: Players are dealt 7-8 of these, depending on the number of players.

Event cards: These define the various competitions, such as the 100m sprint, high jump, ballroom dancing, and hide-and-seek.

Voting tokens: Used by players to rank the animals in each event.

Rulebook: Contains detailed rules and specific conditions for each event.

Art contributions: By Kevin Chapman, Dave Heaton, and Dan Misson, which include imaginative and humorous illustrations.

How To Setup The Champion of the Wild

Setup is quick and straightforward. Players start by selecting three events from five different categories: speed, power, endurance, technical, and team. Each player is then dealt a hand of animal cards and chooses one animal to represent them across all three events. The hardest part of setup is choosing the voting tokens for the correct number of players, but this is minimal. The game includes a great insert to keep everything organized.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Mechanics: Voting, social interaction, and creative reasoning.

Objective: Players must argue why their chosen animal would win each event. After all players make their cases, they vote on the rankings of the other animals.

Events: Each event has specific rules and conditions, such as “Water lanes available” or “Veggie hot dogs available on demand”.

Scoring: Players tally up points based on the rankings they receive from other players. The player with the most points after three events is declared the Champion of the Wild.

Player Experience

The Champion of the Wild encourages creative thinking and persuasion, making it an engaging and fun experience. Players must think outside the box and come up with innovative reasons why their animal would excel in each event. For example, a 6-year-old player might argue that his rhino could cook pancakes by having a spatula attached to its horn.

Pros

Encourages creativity: Players must think creatively to argue for their animal’s chances in each event.

Social interaction: The game fosters lively discussions and voting, making it a great social activity.

Easy setup and cleanup: The game components are minimal, and the insert helps keep everything organized.

Educational edge: It can help children develop their reasoning and persuasive skills.

Cons

Limited availability: It is a small-press indie game, and stocks can be low.

Subjective voting: The outcome depends heavily on the opinions of the other players, which can be inconsistent.

Personal Thoughts on The Champion of the Wild

This game is perfect for families and groups looking for a light-hearted, humorous experience. It is particularly great for children as it encourages outside-the-box thinking and persuasion skills. The game’s theme, which involves animals competing in various events, adds a layer of imagination and fun that can be enjoyed by players of all ages. However, due to its subjective voting mechanism, it may not appeal to players seeking more strategic or competitive games.

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