Epinions.com
Christine Dagny
January 2007
USA

Recently Out of the Box (the makers of the phenomenal party game Apples to Apples) sent a demo copy of Fish Eat Fish to the store where I work and I was able to take it home to try out.

Game Contents
~1 board game
~35 stackable plastic fish(5 blue, 5 green, 5 yellow, 5 red, and 15 purple).
~55 color-coded challenge cards (11 for each player)
~starfish token
~rule booklet

How to Play
Fish Eat Fish is a strategy game for 2-5 players.

To set up the game
Each player must pick a color of fish. If there are 2, 3, or 4 players then purple is not allowed to be chosen and is instead "neutral." If 5 players are participating, then all 5 colors are up for grabs. Each player also receives the 11 challenge cards that match the color of his fish. Once all cards and fish are distributed, players take turns placing each of their fish on the board (following the guidelines in the rule booklet). If you are playing with fewer than 5 players, the purple fish are distributed amongst all blank spaces (In a 2-player game you will use all 15 purples, 10 will be used in a 3 player, 5 in a 4 player).

To Play
The first player (we always play youngest to oldest in our house) grabs the starfish token and picks someone to attack. He can choose to attack a neutral (purple) fish, an opponent's fish, or one of his own fish. He must place the starfish token between one of his fish and the fish he wishes to attack. If it is a neutral fish, he wins the attack automatically and places his fish on top of the neutral fish and the stack then belongs to him. If he attacks one of his own fish then he places either of his own fish on top of the other and the stack now belongs to him. If he chooses to attack an opponent's fish, each player must then choose from their challenge cards to determine the winner.

When the first player has gone, the second player takes the starfish token and can either attack someone (again neutral, self, or opponent), move in a straight line (now that there might be room) to attack someone, or, move in a straight line that allows someone else to attack them.

Play continues in this fashion. Stacks can be built up to 5 fish high. When they are 6 or more high, the bottom fish are removed and set in front of the player to whom the stacks belong. These fish will be part of his final score and cannot be lost.

Ending the Game
If at any time a player runs out of challenge cards, he or she is then out of the game. His stacks that remain on the board are removed and set in front of him and become part of his final score. He can no longer participate, but might still be the winner.

The game ends when stacks from only one player are left on the board. These fish are then removed and added to that player's final score. This player is also awarded the starfish token. Then, all other players count up the fish in front of him and whoever has the most wins. If there is a tie for first and the tie involves the player with the starfish token, that player wins. If the tie does not involve that player, then the player (involved in the tie) with the most remaining challenge cards in his hand wins.

Challenges
Each player is given an identical set of 11 challenge cards at the beginning of each game. These cards are color coded so you always know to which player they belong. You receive 2 squid cards, 1 shark card, and 8 fish cards with the numbers 0 through 5 on them. When a challenge is underway, there are a few different outcomes:

If a Squid is used by either or both players, the challenge is nullified.

If a Shark card is used, then that player wins the challenge unless his opponent plays a squid. If both players use a Shark, then a tie occurs and both stacks of fish are removed from the board, eliminated from the game, and are not added to anyone's score.

When numbered fish cards are used, each player adds the number on his card to the number of fish in his stack. The one with the highest number wins. If there is a tie, both stacks are removed from the board, eliminated from the game, and are not added to anyone's score.

Age Range
This game has an age range listed on the box of 8+. I have a gifted kindergartener who is fascinated with anything ocean-themed, but after playing it with my husband I thought the strategy was just too complex for him. However, he was determined to play it, so I finally sat down and taught him. The first game was laborious, but after a few times he began to grasp the strategy and really enjoy it. Additionally, the game does give him the opportunity to practice simple math (adding numbers 0 through 5), and this is valuable. Based on this, I'd say the age range of 8+ is pretty conservative.

Price
The standard retail price of this game is around $20.00 and well worth every penny.

Is It Fun?
Goodness Yes! This game is fun for any child old enough to play it, and just as fun for adults. It's a really unique game (I've never seen anything quite like it), and it seems to play equally well with 2 players as it does 5. My husband and I love the strategy, and my little boy adores the cool, colorful, stackable fish.

Final Thoughts
This is a fantastic game that appeals to the whole family. Just get it.

Recommended:
Yes

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