Quacks of Quedlinburg, or ‘Quacks’ for short, is a bag building game for 2-4 players. The estimated play time is about 45 minutes. The box recommends players 10 and up, but Maci has been playing this game since she was 7. She understood the game, but did face some difficulties at that age which Jake explains in his review.
In Quacks, players mix up a pot of ingredients each round to make a potion. The goal is to gain the most victory points while trying to not let your pot explode. At the end of each round, players can purchase new ingredients to add to their bags. These new ingredients are available in all future rounds. After 9 rounds, the game ends and the player with the most victory points wins!
The Mom Review
I really enjoy playing Quacks, even though I usually don’t win. It’s fun purchasing different ingredients and seeing what comes out of the bag. Sometimes it can be frustrating when your pot explodes early in the round, simply due to the luck of the draw.
Quacks is easier to teach to people who have played games before. It is not the best game to teach to people who are new to gaming. The concepts in the game are not difficult, but since there are different abilities that come with each potion and all players play simultaneously, it can feel overwhelming to someone who is new. If you would like to play this with a younger player, it might be helpful to let them have an adult buddy the first play through until they are comfortable.
I really appreciate the replay ability of Quacks. With all the different books that come for each potion, no two games are identical.
Overall, I give Quacks a 9/10. I am glad it’s a game we own, and I will never turn a game down.
The Dad Review
This game evokes a lot of emotions. We bought this game when it first came out and we love it. It’s easy to teach and easy to learn. Here’s what’s not easy: dealing with kids that can’t handle the ‘push your luck’ elements in games.
Maci is usually calm and collected, but when we first bought this game she was like a 21 year old with $1000 in their pocket landing in Vegas, dreams of making millions, banking an unlimited amount of free buffet coupons, and eating pizza with gold-flaked pepperoni in the penthouse suite of Caesars Palace. She would let it ride on almost every turn. She went from the high of winning to the low of losing the house. It was a roller coaster of emotions.
So with that said, this is a good game for learning when to hold them and when to fold them. This is not easy for younger kids and will possibly bring the fun factor of this game to a screeching halt. Now with that said, she has learned how to deal with her emotions in this game and now approaches with a more balanced attitude. No longer are we betting the house on every turn, and she is learning some of the tricks. Don’t get me wrong there are times when it’s all or nothing, but we no longer need to bolt the table to the ground to prevent table flips.
If you or your kids have a gambling problem and can’t hold in their rage, I do not recommend this game. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a fun, go with the flow, hopefully I’ll pick out the right chip, push your luck game, then this is for you.
Herb Witches Expansion
This expansion is awesome and adds a lot to the game without a lot of rules. You now can invest in witches that will give you a one-time bonus. These bonuses will enhance your chances of doing well and navigate some of the luck factor. The expansion also comes with new powers for the ingredients from the base game. Additionally, it adds a runoff bowl so if you do reach the end of your pot, you can continue to get those sweet sweet victory points. I would definitely get this expansion.
On it’s own, I rank this game a 9/10, with the expansion I rank it a 10/10.
The Kid Review
I really like Quacks. First, I love the expansion because of the witches. They give you super helpful things when you need them. Next, I like that you get chips to play so you can get to do special things and you get to reach higher spaces in your pot. Then I really like the yellow and blue tokens because they have my favorite powers. Also, I like pulling chips out of a bag and not busting and winning.
In conclusion I will give it a rating of 9 out of 10.
