Year: 2024 | Players: 2-4 | Min: 30+ | Ages: 10+
This Wicked: The Game review was made after playing the game five times. The publisher sent us a copy of this game in exchange for an honest review.
What is Wicked: The Game?
Wicked: The Game is a co-op family game inspired by the 2024 film Wicked, which is based on the musical of the same name. This is a set collection game in which you attempt to gather magic by collecting and trading in sets of matching cards, all while racing against the Wizard to save Oz before he reaches the end of his track.
Wicked: The Game was designed by Erica Bouyouris and is published by Spin Master.
Rules Overview
In Wicked: The Game, you and your team take on roles from Wicked, working together to save Oz from the Wizard’s influence. Your goal is to unlock chapters in the Storybook by earning “Thrillifying Magic,” but you’ll need to do it before the Wizard reaches the end of his track and convinces the people of Oz of your wickedness.
Turn Structure
Each round begins with drawing eight Story cards to form a shared hand, which you’ll pass around the table throughout the round. On your turn, you’ll:
- Draw one Story card to add to the hand.
- Play two cards from the hand. For each one, you can:
- Add it to a set on your character board if it matches one of your current sets.
- Place it in one of your board’s collection areas to start a new set.
- Put it in an Emerald City space if the above options aren’t available. If all three Emerald City spaces are filled, the Wizard advances along his track and you draw a Wizard card, which can help or hurt you.
- Pass the hand to the next player. When there are no cards left in the hand, the first player marker is passed to the next player and the next round begins with a new hand of eight cards.
Thrillifying Magic
To unlock Storybook chapters and advance through the game, you’ll need Thrillifying Magic, which you earn by trading in sets of matching Story cards. The more cards in a set, the more Magic you’ll receive. Also, you’ll get a bonus Thrillifying Magic token when a completed set matches your character board’s color.
Some sets have Wizard Stamps on them, which push the Wizard along his track when traded in (a bad thing).
Winning and Losing
Your goal is to complete all five Storybook chapters by gathering enough Thrillifying Magic before the Wizard reaches the end of his track. You’ll lose if the Wizard reaches space 13 on the track.
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Pros and Cons
Pros
- One of my favorite things about Wicked: The Game is the shared hand/trading aspect. It’s a great introduction to cooperative set collection because it forces you to pay attention to your own sets and your teammates’ sets throughout the game.
- I also like how the Wizard cards keep you on your toes and shake up your strategy. They give the game a bit of tension since there’s a chance they’ll force you to complete sets earlier than you wanted to or add cards to Emerald City unexpectedly.
- The game plays smoothly and quickly, regardless of the number of players. After you get used to the flow of a turn, it only takes a few seconds to decide which two cards you’re going to play. That’s great for keeping everyone consistently engaged, even at the four-player count.
- Speaking of player counts, I like the slight tweak made to make the two-player game work. You have three spots on your character boards for sets instead of two and there are different chapter cards to play through, which seems to balance the game quite well.
- The artwork on the cards is nice. Each set depicts a scene from the story with what I believe are original illustrations.
- The Emerald City model is very cool.
Cons
- I wish there were more chapter cards to swap in and out to give the game a bit more variety and replayability. Even having alternative chapter cards with different rewards would have worked.
- I’m surprised there isn’t a way to increase the difficulty. It’ll be fine the way it is for most families and younger gamers, but I think people who have played a lot of co-op games will have a very high win percentage. I’ve played five times, with at least one game at each player count, and we comfortably won each game.
- The Thrillifying Magic tokens look nice, but they’re hard to pick up. I would have preferred wooden cubes or something with a bit more grip.
Final Thoughts
Wicked: The Game brings a unique twist to cooperative set collection with its shared hand mechanic and the challenge of playing the right sets at the right times. It’s a light, straightforward game that flows well, which is exactly what you want from gateway games and family games.
That said, this game is a bit too light and easy for my core gaming group, though we did have a fun time playing it. I’ll be passing my copy on to my nieces, who I think will really enjoy it.
Wicked: The Game is a great pick for families who are fans of Wicked and are looking for an accessible co-op board game. The nice artwork and light gameplay make it a good choice for younger players and fans of the theme.
Wicked: The Game Links
BGG | Amazon | Walmart
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