Concept (2013) Board Game
Concept is a board game that was released in 2013 by Repos Production. Designed by Gaëtan Beaujannot and Alain Rivollet, the game has gained popularity for its unique gameplay mechanics and engaging gameplay experience. With a focus on deduction and word guessing, Concept offers a fun and interactive experience for players of all ages.
## Game Components of Concept
– 110 cards
– 1 game board
– 1 rulebook
– 4 game aids
– 1 transport bowl
– 39 tokens
– 5 plastic pawns
– 42 plastic cubes
– 118 icons on the game board.
## How To Setup Concept
To set up the game, players start by placing the game board in the middle of the playing area. Each player or team receives a set of tokens and cubes. The deck of 110 cards is shuffled, and each card contains nine concepts divided into three difficulty levels: easy, moderate, and hard. The game aids and rulebook are also made available for reference.
## Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective
– **Team Play**: The game is typically played with teams of two players each, though it can also be played individually.
– **Concept Selection**: On each team’s turn, they draw a card and choose a concept from it.
– **Hinting**: The team provides hints by placing a green question mark on the main category icon on the board and using green cubes to define the attributes of the concept. They can also specify related concepts with red, blue, yellow, and black exclamation points and corresponding colored cubes.
– **Guessing**: Other teams try to guess the concept based on the hints given.
– **Scoring**: The player who guesses correctly gains one double Victory Point (VP) token, while the team who chose the concept gain one single VP token each.
– **Game End**: The game ends when all double VP tokens have been used. The player with the most VPs wins.
## Player Experience
Concept offers a fun and engaging experience, particularly praised for its ability to foster creative communication among players. The game is accessible and enjoyable for a wide range of ages and cultures. It promotes teamwork and strategic thinking as players try to convey complex concepts using simple icons. The game’s length is adaptable, making it suitable for various play sessions.
### Pros
– **Creative Communication**: Encourages creative and non-verbal communication among players.
– **Accessible**: Easy to understand rules make it accessible for all generations and cultures.
– **Replayability**: High level of replayability due to the large number of concepts and icons.
– **Family-Friendly**: Suitable for ages 10+ and can be played by 4-12 players.
– **Awards and Recognition**: Has won several international awards, including the As d’Or – French Game of the Year.
### Cons
– **Subjective Difficulty**: The easy, moderate, and hard categories are subjective and can be inconsistent.
– **Lack of Comeback Mechanism**: Players who fall behind early in the game may find it impossible to catch up.
– **Familiarity Issue**: With a finite number of cards, repeated plays can lead to familiar concepts being guessed quickly, reducing the challenge.
## Personal Thoughts on Concept
Concept is an excellent choice for those looking for a fun, family-friendly game that encourages creative thinking and teamwork. It is ideal for groups of varying sizes and is particularly enjoyable in team-based play. While it has some flaws, such as the subjective difficulty levels and the lack of a comeback mechanism, it remains a highly engaging and rewarding game for players of all ages. If you enjoy games that challenge your ability to communicate without words, Concept is definitely worth a try.
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