Spree! Review by Zombiemonkey
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Spree is a fast, frantic and fairly entertaining romp from Cheapass Games. If you’re not familiar with Cheapass Games, they are basically a small publisher that release inexpensive games which come with boards and cards for a minimal price, but players must provide their own ‘generic’ pieces (so any tokens or dice as needed). This means that you can often buy 2 or more Cheapass Games for under a fiver, which is superb value as they are often as satisfyingly playable as the average full priced game.
In Spree, players run around a mall, stealing goodies and then attempting to get them back to their cars before they are shot and have their ill gotten gains stolen by the other players. Spree requires the following components - two dice, two standard decks of cards and two pawns for each player need to be cobbled together in order to play the game.
The board, depicting a mall, is split into four 'shops' (each containing items of one suit: hearts, spades, clubs and diamonds), and on each turn players roll the dice and run through the mall, laying the relevant cards from their hand into their cart (in front of them) as they run over the corresponding space. The cart is scored according to face value of the cards in it when players make it back to their car (2-10 are worth face value, Jacks 11, Queens 12, Kings 13 and Aces 15), and the first player to reach the previously agreed target score wins the game. An extra layer of complication is added however by the fact that other players can steal items from carts (by moving over the owner of the cart, playing a card of the same rank steals all cards of that rank from the cart, regardless of suit) as well as shoot each other.
To shoot, the active player must be able to 'see' another player - they must be standing in a straight line from one another. When shooting, the attacker rolls one die and counts the spaces from where they are standing (1 is the space you are on, 2 the next space etc.). If it reaches the other player, they fall down, and if it goes through the other player they are pushed back as far as the count goes unless they hit a wall, in which case they stop. The 'defender' falls over and cannot defend, and the attacker gets another turn. There are special cards - Aces can stop theft or shooting, Jokers count as any card for the purposes of stealing (or as Aces for defence purposes!), and 10s and 2s count as move 10 and move 2 respectively, and can be added to movement rolls.
Play is fast, simple and frantic as players rush around collecting as much stuff as they can and try to desperately get it back to their cars (just outside the mall) before they lost it through being shot or by having it stolen. It is simple, and plays very much like a standard card game with a board. Surprisingly fun with a very slight tactical element, Spree does lack the complexity of the latest Cheapass games, not to mention the sense of humour (at least during the game), but is a fast paced and pleasant diversion nonetheless.
The components needed can push the cost of the game up if you don’t already have them in your possession, but most households should have a couple of decks of cards and a few dice laying around: 2 matching coins per player adequately fill the role of player and car, so there’s no excuses there either!
Spree is a short, simple and most importantly fun game that has just the right balance of luck and skill, and stands out as one of the most satisfying Cheapass games.
Summary
Presentation: Cheap and cheerful, as is the norm with Cheapass Games. The board is a bit abstract but it is functional. Not it’s strong point, but then it is a Cheapass Game! 5.6/10
Clarity of Rules: Spree is a fairly easy game to learn, and the rules contain the trademark Cheapass sense of humour. A little more clarification on the shooting/stealing rules would have helped as some confusion does inevitably arise. 8.1/10
Game Length: The game can sometimes outstay its welcome, with players stealing and shooting their way around the board. 7.7/10
Value: As with most Cheapass Games, this is one area that cannot be faulted: at £2.50 or thereabouts, Spree offers amazing value for money. Even if it’s only played a handful of times, it more than justifies the asking price! 9.5/10
Overall: A fast, frantic and daft game of shoplifting and murder, albeit a lot more lighthearted and abstract than that description would suggest. 8.4/10 (not an average)
Spree is a fast, frantic and fairly entertaining romp from Cheapass Games. If you’re not familiar with Cheapass Games, they are basically a small publisher that release inexpensive games which come with boards and cards for a minimal price, but players must provide their own ‘generic’ pieces (so any tokens or dice as needed). This means that you can often buy 2 or more Cheapass Games for under a fiver, which is superb value as they are often as satisfyingly playable as the average full priced game.In Spree, players run around a mall, stealing goodies and then attempting to get them back to their cars before they are shot and have their ill gotten gains stolen by the other players. Spree requires the following components - two dice, two standard decks of cards and two pawns for each player need to be cobbled together in order to play the game.
The board, depicting a mall, is split into four 'shops' (each containing items of one suit: hearts, spades, clubs and diamonds), and on each turn players roll the dice and run through the mall, laying the relevant cards from their hand into their cart (in front of them) as they run over the corresponding space. The cart is scored according to face value of the cards in it when players make it back to their car (2-10 are worth face value, Jacks 11, Queens 12, Kings 13 and Aces 15), and the first player to reach the previously agreed target score wins the game. An extra layer of complication is added however by the fact that other players can steal items from carts (by moving over the owner of the cart, playing a card of the same rank steals all cards of that rank from the cart, regardless of suit) as well as shoot each other.
To shoot, the active player must be able to 'see' another player - they must be standing in a straight line from one another. When shooting, the attacker rolls one die and counts the spaces from where they are standing (1 is the space you are on, 2 the next space etc.). If it reaches the other player, they fall down, and if it goes through the other player they are pushed back as far as the count goes unless they hit a wall, in which case they stop. The 'defender' falls over and cannot defend, and the attacker gets another turn. There are special cards - Aces can stop theft or shooting, Jokers count as any card for the purposes of stealing (or as Aces for defence purposes!), and 10s and 2s count as move 10 and move 2 respectively, and can be added to movement rolls.
Play is fast, simple and frantic as players rush around collecting as much stuff as they can and try to desperately get it back to their cars (just outside the mall) before they lost it through being shot or by having it stolen. It is simple, and plays very much like a standard card game with a board. Surprisingly fun with a very slight tactical element, Spree does lack the complexity of the latest Cheapass games, not to mention the sense of humour (at least during the game), but is a fast paced and pleasant diversion nonetheless.
The components needed can push the cost of the game up if you don’t already have them in your possession, but most households should have a couple of decks of cards and a few dice laying around: 2 matching coins per player adequately fill the role of player and car, so there’s no excuses there either!
Spree is a short, simple and most importantly fun game that has just the right balance of luck and skill, and stands out as one of the most satisfying Cheapass games.
Summary
Presentation: Cheap and cheerful, as is the norm with Cheapass Games. The board is a bit abstract but it is functional. Not it’s strong point, but then it is a Cheapass Game! 5.6/10
Clarity of Rules: Spree is a fairly easy game to learn, and the rules contain the trademark Cheapass sense of humour. A little more clarification on the shooting/stealing rules would have helped as some confusion does inevitably arise. 8.1/10
Game Length: The game can sometimes outstay its welcome, with players stealing and shooting their way around the board. 7.7/10
Value: As with most Cheapass Games, this is one area that cannot be faulted: at £2.50 or thereabouts, Spree offers amazing value for money. Even if it’s only played a handful of times, it more than justifies the asking price! 9.5/10
Overall: A fast, frantic and daft game of shoplifting and murder, albeit a lot more lighthearted and abstract than that description would suggest. 8.4/10 (not an average)
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