There are board games that present players with vast amounts of game material. And then there are games like "Schweinerei", which stand out due to their consistent avoidance of superfluous frills in order to convey an unmistakable message to the players: Here only the fun factor counts!
Pig
It would be stupid with "Schweinerei" to reduce the game only to the contents of the packaging. It consists of exactly 2 rubber pigs, 2 pencils, a score pad and the game instructions - all packed in a space-saving travel box. With this configuration, it becomes clear why "Schweinerei" is perfect as a travel or take-along game.
In "Schweinerei" pigs learn to fly. But what really counts in the end is only the landing of the pigs and their combat position on the board game table, which decides whether and how many points the player who rolled the dice was able to collect. In order to avoid misunderstandings and gaps in the rules from the outset, the game instructions recommend promoting a player to swineherd, who from then on notes down the points and, in the case of unclear, silly positions, determines the number of points scored.
The rules of Schweinerei fit on a single page of the compact set of instructions. First of all, the players' group should choose a swineherd. You are free to choose the criteria for choosing the ideal swineherd: whether you choose looks, intelligence, hunger for power, professionalism in dealing with pigs or voluntary work as selection criteria - you can be sure that the swineherd will bear his title with pride . He is the one who eliminates rule ambiguities immediately and competently, if necessary also through imaginative rule creations.
In “Scheinerei”, whoever has 100 points in their account first wins. Gameplay is as simple as it could be. The starting player starts rolling the dice and collects points, the amount of which depends on the positions of the pigs. The trick: The active player can roll the dice as often as he likes to get closer to the point goal. However, if the two pigs fall into unfavorable positions for him, the points are lost or he is thrown out of the game altogether.
Mission impossible? Nothing is impossible!
Before the game starts, some silly positions seem completely impossible. This assumption turns out to be a big mistake while playing. The mess shown on the left occurs more often than players would like to hunt for points, but we have not been able to roll the mess so far. The more crazy the positions of the rubber pigs, the more points you get. Combinations lead to small point bonuses. Despite the simple idea of the game, there's a great atmosphere in "Schweinerei" when the pink-colored main characters suddenly come together in an unexpected line-up.
"Schweinerei" is the perfect bring-along game. Whether on the train journey, on the plane, at the next birthday party or for business people in the breaks between two meetings: Schweinerei is great fun and offers entertaining entertainment. The simple and illustrated set of rules also makes verbal communication superfluous, so that "mess“ is one of the dice games that connects cultures. And thanks to the comprehensibility of the rules, children can also have quick, uncomplicated fun with this game from Winning Moves. The next children's birthday party will certainly not be boring.
Some possible pig positions are shown in the game instructions and on the back of the game box, but not all. You name unknown, new positions yourself and then award a score for the single pig and the pink double. There are no limits to your fantasies: does distance play a role? Do you divide the gaming table into sectors? Do you roll both pigs at the same time or one after the other? Be creative and improve your Mess experience by inventing your own rules! The royal road: If you are brave enough, you can take on the mighty swineherd and haggle over points.
I can warmly recommend the dice fun "Schweinerei" from Winning Moves. This game is just as fun as an adult as it was as a kid. And that fun is the only thing that counts, you will notice with the first roll of the pig dice. For around €9 you get maximum gaming fun for minimal investment. Have fun!
Infobox
Number of players: 2 to 5 players
Age: from 8 years
Playing time: 15+ minutes
Difficulty: easy
Long-term motivation: low
Publisher: Winning Moves ►
Year of publication: 2006
Language: German
Cost: 10 Euro
Conclusion
To put it in a nutshell: Winning Moves' mess is extremely simple and very good!
