Dogs Alone (2021) Board Game

Dogs Alone is a card game released in 2021 by Fractal Juegos. It is designed by Pablo Céspedes and Víctor Hugo Cisternas, with artwork by Roberto González. The game is set in a humorous world where dogs are left alone at home and must fend for themselves. It falls under the category of animals, card game, humor, and party game, making it a light-hearted and fun experience for players.

Game Components of Dogs Alone

Dog cards: Used to commit disasters and clean up messes.

Disaster cards: Principal way to earn points.

Mario Hugo cards: Triggers the endgame condition.

Player boards: For managing individual game zones.

Market and pile: For recruiting dogs and drawing disaster cards.

How To Setup Dogs Alone

To set up the game, each player receives a player board and a starting hand of dog cards. The market and pile are prepared according to the game’s rules. Players place their boards within reach and ensure all necessary components are accessible. The Mario Hugo cards are shuffled and placed within reach, ready to be drawn as the game progresses.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Recruit dogs: Players can recruit dogs from the market or the pile to their hand.

Commit disasters: Using the collected dog cards, players can commit disasters by meeting the requirements on the disaster cards.

Clean disasters: Players must clean up the messes created by the disasters before Mario Hugo returns.

Score points: Points are earned by cleaning up disasters before Mario Hugo’s cards come into play for the third time.

Game objective: The player who earns the most points by cleaning up disasters and maintaining order wins the game.

Player Experience

In **Dogs Alone**, players take on the role of mischievous dogs trying to have the best party while their owner, Mario Hugo, is away. The game requires strategic planning and timely execution to commit and clean up disasters. The dynamic between recruiting the right dogs and managing the mess they create adds a fun and chaotic element to the game.

Pros

Engaging theme: The game’s theme, based on a popular TV show, adds a unique and entertaining twist.

Strategic depth: Players need to balance recruiting dogs and committing disasters with the need to clean up before Mario Hugo returns.

Varied gameplay: Each game can be different due to the random draw of dog and disaster cards.

Family-friendly: Suitable for players aged 10 and above, making it a great option for family game nights.

Cons

Complexity for young players: While the game is family-friendly, younger players might find the rules and strategies a bit complex.

Luck factor: The random draw of cards can introduce a significant luck element, which might not appeal to all players.

Cleaning mechanism: The need to clean up disasters before Mario Hugo returns can become repetitive and may lose appeal for some players over multiple plays.

Personal Thoughts on Dogs Alone

**Dogs Alone** is an excellent choice for families or casual gamers looking for a light-hearted, strategic game. It’s particularly suited for those who enjoy set collection and resource management mechanics. However, players seeking a game with deep strategic layers or minimal luck might find this game less appealing. Overall, it’s a fun and engaging game that can bring a lot of laughter and excitement to the table.

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