Have you ever been at the beach and wondered “What's it like stealing food from the innocent”? Well my friends, then Beaks by Ginger Fox Games might just be the game you’ve been dreaming of.
Embrace your inner seagull
The premise of Beaks is a very simple game for 2-6 players. You and your game mates are a flock of seagulls working away at the Beaks Takeaway, completing orders for your fellow birds by stealing the items from people on the beach aka the central pile in the middle of the table.
Each person is given a pair of tweezers to serve as their beak, then dealt two random order cards from the deck which are placed face up so all players can see them. The rest are then set to the side to form a draw pile. Each order card will give a list of food items that need to be collected as well as a total points value for the order. Players may try to complete any order in the circle.
Have you ever been at the beach and wondered “What's it like stealing food from the innocent”? Well my friends, then Beaks by Ginger Fox Games might just be the game you’ve been dreaming of.
Embrace your inner seagull
The premise of Beaks is a very simple game for 2-6 players. You and your game mates are a flock of seagulls working away at the Beaks Takeaway, completing orders for your fellow birds by stealing the items from people on the beach aka the central pile in the middle of the table.
Each person is given a pair of tweezers to serve as their beak, then dealt two random order cards from the deck which are placed face up so all players can see them. The rest are then set to the side to form a draw pile. Each order card will give a list of food items that need to be collected as well as a total points value for the order. Players may try to complete any order in the circle.
All the food items - which are stored conveniently in a separate paper bag - are placed in the centre of the play area so that everybody can reach them. When everyone is ready, count down as a group “3, 2, 1 - squaaawk” then race to collect the food items you need to complete an order using your beak. Food items can be taken from the central pile or from other players. When an order is complete, the player announces this by raising their beak and squawking.
The completed order should then be checked. If correct, the player keeps the order and the points. If incorrect, they return all the food to the central pile. Likewise if they have more food than they needed, deduct 1 point for each extra item. Play then resumes. The winner is the first to 10 points.
Gameplay can also be changed for a longer game to having multiple rounds, or for extra complexity players can get required to have all the food items stacked on top of each other to complete the order.
Lots to squawk about
Beaks is definitely a game that I can see appealing to younger audiences, making it a perfect family game. The game is very much pick up and go, with rules taking less than 5 minutes to learn even with the more challenging variations.
I would definitely suggest this is a game played with supervision, however, given the potential for squabbles when items are stolen by fellow gulls. House rules may be required with younger children to remove the stealing aspect, likewise the ‘squawking’ elements may not be to everyone's taste and can easily be replaced with quieter alternatives.
What this game does deliver is a very simple game with a sense of whimsy that adults and children alike can enjoy.
A bird in the hand
When it comes to components, the makers have definitely opted for simplicity and durability. The entire game fits into a metal tin decorated with very cute cartoon seagulls, which is robust and could easily be dropped into a backpack for on the go games.
The beaks themselves are bright yellow plastic tweezers, which stand out as soon as the tin is opened. These are surprisingly sturdy and do a fair job when it comes to their usage within the game, being shorter than the average tweezer length presumably to aid fledgling users in controlling them.
The food items are chunky, wooden pieces with distinctive shapes and clearly distinct colours to identify them, aiding the overall clarity of the game. They provide a good variation too in difficulty to pick up - chips are very easy to grab but usually are on lower value orders, whilst pizza orders are worth a lot but are close to impossible to pick up when lying flat. In the interest of ease, I would recommend having the pieces on a table cloth so that it is possible to get part of your beak under the difficult food pieces, otherwise you will end up very frustrated trying to obtain an elusive pizza while other gulls scoop their chips.
Order cards are clearly printed and feature a newspaper print background to stay on theme, whilst the rulebook itself is kept simple and clear with examples of layout for guidance.
A game the whole flock can enjoy
Something I routinely look for in games is: how accessible is this game? With Beaks, I can definitely say that there are a lot of features that would mean that it is suitable for a wide age range and for those who may have varying degrees of disability.
The game pieces are distinct in both colour and shape, meaning that they would be easier to distinguish for those with limited vision. Likewise they are on the chunkier side and robust enough that they are unlikely to damage when dropped if someone struggles more with their co-ordination.
Rules of the game are straightforwardly explained in plain English, and there is no complex strategy to master. Likewise the order cards feature high contrast text in black and white with essential information only provided.
The biggest challenge in my opinion would come from the dexterity required to use the tweezer beaks, as these require the user to be able to make a pincer movement. Even so, compared to a standard pair of beauty tweezers, the grip area in wider, overall length is shorter and the pressure required to grip appears to be reduced. This makes them more user friendly to fledglings who may still be working on their co-ordination skills, and to birds of all ages who may struggle with hand weakness.
In conclusion
Beaks provides a simple interactive gameplay with a sense of whimsy that I can see appealing to a wide range of players. It's not a complex game nor does it pretend to be. Perfect for the family or as a chill party game.
