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Pack the Essentials from Wise Wizard Games gamifies the eternal struggle of any trip: trying to pack as many cats to take along as you can! Leaving for any trip can be a hassle, full of to-do lists and planning ahead, but Pack the Essentials cuts straight to the fun by scoring how many cats players can sneak into their luggage.
Jam-Packed Box
The adorable art for Pack the Essentials is of course the first thing anyone playing will see on opening the box, but the fun is hardly surface-level. The production quality of the components is top-notch, giving a big-box feel to a fairly compact box, fittingly enough for the theme. It comes packed with a shared board for drafting, individual player Suitcase boards, card decks, tokens, and of course plenty of tiles featuring items to pack and, better yet, cats.
Rules in Order
Each game of Pack the Essentials begins with setting up the boards and laying out the To-Do List cards that establish bonuses for special conditions, such as having four-square tiles, items with the tiles touching the edge of the Suitcase bag, or completely filled rows. As each round begins, new tiles are drawn at random from the bag. Players first put their markers on the draft order, which denotes who will choose tiles first while also giving special tiles for going later. Savvy players will have to balance grabbing the tile of their dreams or gearing up to score big.
Once the draft order is established, players take turns choosing tiles and placing them on their suitcases. The game continues over 12 rounds of drawing. At the end, players add up their scores, with the highest number naming the winner.
Three Ways to Pack the Essentials
Pack the Essentials is packed with decision-making since there is not a single right way to play. Scores come from the number of tiles in the same color group touching, so collecting a certain color and arranging it carefully is a must. Scores also come from each cat, which players pack by flipping an item tile to its cat side in exchange for a Pack Rat token earned by being later in the draft. The To-Do List cards also give their own unique scoring conditions, meaning players will have to adapt for every new game they play.
Wrapping It Up
Pack the Essentials is a drafting and strategy game for one to four players aged 12 and up. The solo-mode play gives packers a chance to practice their strategies while working around the Cat Lady dummy player that wants to grab all the kitties up. Solo players will have to achieve the Victory Condition within the 12 rounds, and a special “Purr-sonal Bests” chart allows players to record their wins right in the rulebook.
Players, whether solo or in a group, will be eager to play again thanks to replayability from the randomized To Do List cards and of course the wide variety of cuddly kitties to draw.
