Patchwork Doodle by the game designer Uwe Rosenberg is published by Lookout Spiele Verlag. The roll-and-write game is based on the popular patchwork board game from 2014 and, together with Patchwork Express, is part of the "Rosenbergschen" patchwork family. Up to now, the games with Tetris optics were only playable for two players, thanks to Patchwork Doodle, one to an infinite number of other players can now take part in the game. But from my point of view is it worthwhile to use another patchwork title? I'll reveal that in the following review.
“Roll and Write” is trendy and anyone familiar with the patchwork board game knows that the game is not only visually appealing, but can also be played with the whole family. Thus, the unlimited number of players in Patchwork Doodle is a clear advantage over its two predecessors, Patchwork and Patchwork Express.
Patchwork becomes a multiplayer game with Doodle
Thematically, the game remains true to itself. The players slip into the roles of fabric artists and create an individual patchwork blanket using differently shaped patches. What sounds simple at first, is a tricky game play in the course of the game. Because each player draws on his own drawing sheet on which a predetermined 9 × 9 grid is drawn. The patches are on patch cards, which are given out individually as starting patches at the start and are arranged in a circle on the gaming table during the game rounds. Now the players have to choose the patch that is valid for each player by rolling the dice and moving a piece.
First, the players draw the contour of their individual starting patch on their drawing sheet, then the inside of the patch has to be hatched or colored. The patches themselves can be twisted and turned in whatever way is best for the individual players. When this move is made, the players have understood the basic mechanics of Patchwork Doodle. The next moves are played in the same way. The patches must neither overlap, nor may they be drawn beyond the edges of the drawing grid.
To help, the players can use four special actions. They are allowed to choose a different, adjacent patch card, color an additional single field, imaginarily cut the patch with scissors and record one of the partial patches and carry out one of the special actions again. In situations in which a patch no longer fits on their playing field, the players can use the patch appropriately or fill in disruptive individual fields before the interim evaluation phase. The solo game is played in the same way as the multi-player game.
An intermediate scoring takes place after each of three game rounds. Each time, a fully hatched and rectangular area is selected and framed on your own drawing sheet. Now you get one point per field for the largest square within the rectangular area. Each further adjacent row or column in the rectangle results in a further single point. After the last intermediate scoring, all unhatched fields on the drawing sheet are counted and entered in the given column for minus points. Now all you have to do is add up the previously received points and subtract the minus points.
With Patchwork Doodle, Uwe Rosenberg has usefully expanded his series to include the design of a patchwork blanket. The game with a puzzle mechanism remains what it wants to be and has become even more family-friendly thanks to the increased number of possible players. Its handy size makes it a practical travel game when there is a shelf.
The game material has been designed clearly and attractively. The drawing sheets clearly explain the course of the game, so a quick start to the game is possible after a short reading of the rules without wandering around. The patch cards offer assistance by specifying the required squares of characters and, in some cases, with an example of the mirrored patch shape. This makes it possible for children to play the game without an adult being present. The playing figure and the dice were made of wood, with large and clearly legible numbers printed on the dice. Also included are colored pencils in a small cardboard box.
More images for Patchwork Doodle
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Infobox
Number of players: 1 to 6+ players
Age: from 8 years
Playing time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Long-term motivation: medium
Publisher: Lookout Spiele, distributed by ASS
Author Uwe Rosenberg
Layout: atelier198
Year of publication: 2019
Language: German
Cost: 13,95 Euro
Conclusion
Patchwork Doodle is a family game with simple and easy to learn rules. The evaluation can seem confusing at the beginning, but if the players look at the sample evaluation in the rulebook, it becomes understandable. As usual from the previous titles, the material is colorful and appealing. You immediately know that the game is about knotting a patchwork blanket.
The drawing sheets can be written on on both sides, which I noticed particularly positively in times when special attention should be paid to environmental protection. Frequent gamers will find themselves less likely to find themselves in the game, as it offers too little game depth. Critical voices feel that another title from the blended family is superfluous. Since this is the first patchwork title with a multiplayer option and the "Roll and Write" mechanism is completely new, I see this objection differently and would see Patchwork Doodle as a successful modification of the original title that is particularly family-friendly.
