Buzzin’ Picnic may look sweet and simple, but beneath its charming artwork lies a surprisingly tactical card game. I recently got hold of the Kickstarter edition from Space Guild Games - here’s what I found.
Don’t judge this board game by its cover
On the surface, Buzzin’ Picnic looks like a fairly easy family board game, where players have to guide friendly insects to insect hotels, and slap ‘annoying’ insects to keep them away from your picnic. Don’t be fooled by the cute artwork- there’s far more strategic bite here than you might expect.The basics of the game consists of two aspects: playing two friendly bug cards (or three, depending on player count), before placing a final bug in your score pile and starting the process again; and adding ‘annoying’ bug cards to the communal central picnic blanket, until it gets so big that one of the players just can’t resist but cash in on the points!
But look a little closer, and you’ll find a few tasty mechanical surprises lurking just below the surface- changing this game from a pretty, picnic themed family game, to one that is competitive, tactical and fast paced. For example, in the base game you’ll find flower cards, which you can use to attract/steal bugs from other players; Wasp cards, which give you minus points if you don’t use your slipper card to slap them; and other annoying bug cards, which can be played face down or face up to hide or signal your intentions to other players.
Bee-yond the base game
Within the Kickstarter edition, also included is the ‘Four-Leaf Clover Expansion’. This expansion adds several extra cards, from crows to clovers, and trowels to grasshoppers- all of which add even more competitiveness and spice to this game, through increased player interactions and the ability to be even nastier to other players! So much so that the expansion section of the rulebook has a disclaimer that says, “But please don’t blame us if you get too competitive and end up breaking friendships or your gaming table". This expansion completely transforms the game, shifting it from a family game to a more complex one, capable of entertaining even those looking for a bit more.
A few bugs in the system
Very rarely is a game perfect- and Buzzin’ Picnic is no exception. Whilst the game offers a lot of mechanisms and variability, the luck of the cards can definitely play a factor in who wins and loses. It can also significantly alter how each game plays out which, whilst increasing replayability, can also prove frustrating. For example, the Grasshopper Expansion card multiplies your final friendly bug score by the number of grasshoppers you have (i.e. if you have two grasshoppers, points are x2, 3 grasshoppers=points x3). However, with only one card per player in the game, you have to be quite lucky for the cards to come up- and if they do, it’s quite a big swing of points, with not a lot than can be done by other players to stop it.
The only other minor grumble is that some of the rules in the rulebook could be clearer, with better or clearer examples of some of the various rules. It took us a couple of playthroughs to realise that we had been applying some of the rules incorrectly, or not at all, because of their ambiguity.
The Final Buzz
Buzzin’ Picnic is a beautifully crafted game, full of layers and the ability to scale up or down depending on audience and the level of competition you are looking for. Its lovely illustrations, speedy gameplay, and accessible mechanics make this a potential family favourite, or a cosy (but slightly mean) game night with friends. Refreshingly, it’s nice to see a game which isn’t ‘dumbed down’ for children, but just accessible with the ability to grow with players (or appeal to the already fully grown).
Artwork: 4/5
Complexity: 2/5
Replayability: 4/5
Interaction: 4/5
Component Quality: 4/5
You might like:
- Quick, Easy and Fast Paced Game
- Lovely Artwork
- Great Variability, particularly with expansion
Might not like:
- Some gaps in the rule book
- Reliant on getting the ‘right’ cards
