A few days ago I gave you an insight into the new patchwork "Stack & stuff: A patchwork gamegiven. Today it's about the series in a more general way and about comparing a few games head-to-head. I already have a similar comparison post, for example, with the Azul series did. Specifically, this article is about Patchwork, Patchwork Express and Patchwork: Stack & Stopf.
One game - many variants
If you still know the game series, here are the rules: Each person gets a game board and a time marker, which is placed on the time track. It is always one person's turn until they overtake the other person on the track. The game ends when both people have reached the target space - so it is possible that one person has finished and the other can still make more moves.
If you reach the button/coin field, you get buttons or coins and whoever reaches the patch/cardboard field first gets the part and can put it down. In general, the aim is to fill up the game board as much as possible. The pieces received can be rotated and mirrored, but they must always be placed correctly on the game board. At the end you count your coins or buttons and subtract 2 points for each empty space on the game board. In Patchwork there is also a bonus if you have a closed 7x7 field first.
The course of the game
All tiles are placed around the schedule and the time marker is placed clockwise next to the smallest tile (3 squares). while you patchwork fabric directly interprets all parts, are at Patchwork: express and Stack & stuff only part of the tiles are laid out and the rest are added towards the end of the game.
When it is your turn, you have 2 options:
- Buying a part and storing it: You can only ever buy the three parts in front of the character and have to pay the corresponding number of coins/buttons. Then you move the character to the now free position. Place the purchased piece anywhere on your game board. Finally, move your time marker the number of spaces indicated on the piece.
- Advance and Collect Coins/Buttons: If you don't want to or can't buy a tile, you can also advance on the schedule. You always move so far that you stop one space in front of the stone of the other person. For each square you have moved, you get a coin/button.
It is always one person's turn and may repeat the above options until their time marker is ahead of the other person's.
Stack & stuff and Patchwork Express thus adopt the game idea of Patchwork, but simplify it significantly. So the game board is smaller and the pieces have simpler numbers and smaller costs.
The box
The boxes are all the same size - that pleases everyone who likes order on the shelf. The cover indicates what you get. at patchwork fabric and Partnership Express is a patchwork quilt (as will be seen later, the patches are included Patchwork: Express larger) and at Stack & stuff about a move and a moving truck.
The game board
Again, the game boards are similar patchwork fabric and Patchwork Express – the former has a 9×9 grid and the latter a 7×7. The moving truck from Stapel & Stopf also comes with a 7×7 grid, but it also has two special features: The fold-out elements that make it even more obvious that it is a moving truck.
The Schedule
Patchwork and Patchwork Express rely on a square snail. Here, too, it is noticeable that Patchwork has a longer playing time and more time fields. While the bonus patches are also shown on the game board in Patchwork, Patchwork Express has extra fields for them. With Stapel & Stopf the game board can be folded and it comes with a new design. So we follow a winding route to our new home.
The parts
The piece shape is similar in all three games. In patchwork, the pieces are slightly smaller and the units on them are significantly larger. Patchwork Express and Stack & stuff has two types of parts. Patchwork Express you play at the beginning without the small blue parts and Stack & stuff without the blue parts including the teddy symbol.
The pawns
Here too they are similar patchwork fabric and Patchwork Express very. The design of the buttons is slightly different and different sizes. while it at patchwork fabric there were patches of different colors, these are included Patchwork Express same. Stack & stuff has a moving wagon as a figure and the respective stones of the persons have new colors. Instead of buttons there are coins and instead of patches there are cardboard boxes.
Other
patchwork fabric also offers an alternative game board on the back.
The patchwork series
No matter which Patchwork-Game you play, the principle of the game is always the same. This may sound a bit monotonous, but for me it has a clear advantage: each person can get the patchwork that suits them the most. Which theme you like best is of course a matter of taste, but let's be honest, there's always a game that you think is great in terms of the gameplay, but not that great in terms of design. at patchwork fabric you have a wide choice.
Patchwork Express and Stack & stuff are small exceptions because they simplify the gameplay. This makes them very suitable for younger and older people. Patchwork Express also got the generation game seal for it. Both games and the Patchwork series in general also have educational aspects. In this way, they promote imagination (does the part really fit into my gap?) and also arithmetic skills (is it worth buying? How many purchases can I make?). But the games can also be interesting outside of this target group. So I find the faster game quite appealing, because you can play several games faster. And one more tip. If you have several games, several groups of 2 can play at the same time 😉
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Lookout | Stack & Stuff – A Patchwork Game | Family Game...* |
17,99 EUR |
* = Affiliate link/advertisementAs an Amazon Associate, we earn money from qualifying purchases. If you make a purchase through one of the links, we receive a portion of the purchase price as commission. This doesn't cost you anything extra, but it helps support our website. Last updated on September 20.01.2026, XNUMX / Affiliate links / Images from the Amazon Product Advertising API. Images from Amazon PA API.
