Dobble Belgium – Card Game Review
It hasn’t been that long since we last discussed another simple card game, Foul Play, which proved to be a great experience for young and old. The game was easy to learn and proved to be a lot of fun. Now, we have the chance to try out another simplistic and amusing card game, the ‘Belgium‘ edition of Dobble. Don’t fret though, this edition includes a Dutch, French, and English rulebook, making it still an ideal pick-up for collectors abroad. Those remarks aside, we found ourselves playing within mere moments.
Contents
- 55 cards
- Rules
The cards in the very nicely designed tin box are somewhat simplistically designed, with several symbols (iconic items, dishes, or landmarks of Belgium) on all of the cards. The overall design of these cards is nicely handled, and most items on them will look familiar to those who know their way around Belgium. Some icons were perhaps a bit abstract, and not everyone may know the specific name of a certain building or landmark. We do have to say that the cards themselves feel a bit thin and flimsy, and we’re not sure how long they will survive after a lot of play sessions. As we already mentioned above, the tin box, that contains the cards and rule booklets, looks quite cool. It gives the overall package a very premium look, even though this is a budget-priced game.
Mechanics
Dobble Belgium is a simple card game where you have to match symbols, allowing you to either get rid of your cards or collect them, depending on what ruleset you’re following. Nonetheless, even when playing variants, the basic principle remains the same. Every card in the deck is circular and has different symbols on them, and at any given time, the card that you are looking at will always have a matching symbol with the other card(s) on the playing field. It’s up to you to find the matching symbol(s) and then you will win the round. We did notice that you will have to properly communicate and clearly ‘claim’ the matching symbol you found, to avoid misunderstandings, making it clear who really is the first player. When doing it this way, the game is a lot of fun. If two or more players speak out at the same time, you can still make up a small rule on the spot that you deem fair. The ruleset will state that the player clearly has to state the name of the item, but we reckon a six-year-old might not really know many of the country’s landmarks just yet.
As a whole, the game is an ideal bite-sized snack in-between bigger games or just an easy pick to cater to a younger audience, as they will surely find this one a blast. That being said, the game is also a lot of fun for adults. As it can allow groups of up to eight people to enjoy the game, it’s a great and affordable pick if you have some extra people coming over. We saw no faults in the gameplay design, only that it might get somewhat taxing for your eyes if you have to focus for very long periods on end.
Luck or Strategy?
Honestly, this game involves little to no strategic elements at all. While a few of the game’s variants allow you to somewhat mess with other players’ progress, it’s mainly a luck-based experience. You’ll always just have to try to be the quickest, and sometimes you see matching symbols immediately. At other times, you’ll notice the players around you just steamroll through the game claiming victory. The game is somewhat random, and that is perfectly fine and amusing. It’s just simply good old-fashioned fun.
Conclusion
Dobble Belgium is a very simplistic and amusing game that caters to young and old and is ideal for a short break or in-between heavier board/card games. We very much enjoyed how easy it was to get into the gameplay, and it’s also very nice that the game comes with several different rulesets, spicing things up if you’re tired of the base game experience. Some rules may be adapted to suit your party’s needs, and that is what makes this game quite appealing. There is no real wrong way to play Dobble Belgium, and it is very easy to pick up.
Dobble Belgium - Card Game Review,
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