Loonacy from Looney Labs- A Review

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The lunatic is on the grass. 
The lunatic is on the grass. 
Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs. 
Got to keep the loonies on the path. 

- Pink Floyd

Loonacy is a fast-paced, matching, party-ish game from those loonatics over at Looney Labs. You know the ones I'm talking about--the folks who brought us Fluxx, Fluxx the Board Game, and a bunch of other wacky games they claim you can teach in one sentence. So what's so loony about Loonacy? Can you teach the game in one, single, solitary, individual sentence? Only one way to find out...

The Components

Cards - 100 of them. There are no other components; this is purely a card-based game and there's only one type of card. Each card features two icons that are from the Fluxx universe, anything from the classic chocolate bar to a card featuring Andy and Kristin Looney themselves.

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The Setup 

Obviously you'll give the cards a good shuffle. After that each player gets seven cards; then everyone gets a chance to look at their cards and arrange the hand. Depending on how many players are playing, turn over a certainnumber of cards to establish discard piles: 5 players - 1 pile, 4 players - 2 piles, 3 players - 3, 2 players - 4, 1 player - play something different.

Gameplay

This is where I try to teach you the game in one sentence! Here goes: There are no player turns: You simply try to discard your cards by matching one icon on the card you're playing with one on the top card of any discard pile, first person out of cards wins.

There, I did it! Okay, there are a few teeny-tiny rules to know about. If you get stuck--which happens a little more with two or three players--you simply hold your hand out towards the draw pile. When everyone is doing this all players draw a card and continue playing cards as quick as they can. Note- you do NOT HAVE to play cards in your hand even if they match cards on the top of a discard pile; you may choose for some strategic reason to hang onto them. 

Also, if you're going for the same pile as another player, whoever has their card under the other player's card is the one who gets to keep it there. Better luck next time. If you're planning on playing more than one card on the same pile, good for you! You can only play one card at the same time WITH the SAME hand. No stacking them all up and slamming them down, either. This gives folks a chance to foil your plans. 

Title - Loonacy

Designer - Andrew Looney

Publisher - Looney Labs

Number of players - 2-5

Ages - 8 and up (6-7 should be ok with it too...)

Play time - 5-10 Minutes

Category/Genre - Fast Paced/Matching/Dexterity

Pros:

  • Sweet Fluxx branding!
  • Super easy to teach and learn.
  • A true "quick play."
  • A really light-weight filler

Cons:

  • Not much strategy or decision making.
  • Would have like to see it support more players.
  • A REALLY light-weight filler.

Good for...

  • Family? Yes! My youngest lags behind the pace a little but this is a great, fun family game!

  • Youth Group? Yes! While it may be in a smaller group setting, this is pefect for a youth group, plays quick, and has a lightning fast learning curve!

  • Gamers? Maybe! If you're looking for a really fast, really light filler, this is the game you're looking for.

  • Nongamers? Absolutely! This game is perfect for a non/casual gamer crowd!

Rating:

* Jeremiah: 7

A fun fast-playing game with strong Fluxx branding--best for nongamers and casual players.

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The Verdict 

Being the fan of Fluxx that I am, when I first riffled through the cards I had a lot of fun when I recognized so much of the great iconography from the franchise. Looney Labs has spent years building that franchise and they capitalized nicely on their hard work by incorporating those great visuals into Loonacy. 

Loonacy is very, very, light weight, even for a light weight filler. That's not bad--just know that going in. I played it with my boys and my 7-almost 8-year-old picked it up without any problem at all and really enjoyed the quick pace. My 5-year-old lagged behind because of the pace, so we had to help him out a little along the way. I've had no problems with this game with families, adults, teens, and more casual gamers, if you have a fun, upbeat crowd, the game will stay high energy and everyone will enjoy it; if you want to sit down and strategize your next 4 turns you might want to reconsider playing this...

The one downside to the game is that it only supports up to 5-players. I would have enjoyed a game of at least 8--maybe more. This feels like a party game to me, and five folks doesn't feel like much of a party.

Overall I had a lot of fun with Loonacy. There are a decent number of games in this space, including games like Spot It!, Pick-a-Pig/Pick-a-Dog, Dutch Blitz, and Nertz, but Loonacy stands out to me because of the strong Looney Labs/Fluxx branding. It's quick to teach, easy to learn, and a lot of fast paced fun!