Wonderland Fluxx is a game by Andrew Looney, published by Looney Labs. It is for 2-6 players. In this game, players will set off to the zany world of Wonderland where they will be playing cards to collect different items and add new friends to their party. They’ll also be playing actions and new rules cards that will change up how the game itself is played. Of course, the only way to not go Mad as Hatter is to collect the right Keeper cards to complete the always changing Goal card. Players will also need to be on the look out for the dreaded Jabberwock who will make it impossible for them to win. In the end, the player that can best navigate the maze of cards to complete the current goal will be declared the winner.
To begin, the Basic Rules card is placed in the middle of the play area. The deck of cards is shuffled together and each player is dealt 3 cards, which make up their starting hand. The remaining cards are placed face down in a draw pile near the Basic Rules card, leaving room for a discard pile. If a player is dealt a Creeper card in their opening hand, then they must place it face up in front of themself and draw a new non-Creeper card into their hand. The first player is chosen and play now begins.
The game is played in a series of turns with each player taking a turn. On a player’s turn, they will draw a number of cards from the draw pile based on the current rule requirements. They will then play a number of cards which is also based on the current rule requirements. They will then discard cards from their hand which is based on the current rule requirements. These rules will change from time to time based on New Rules cards being played to the table.
The game consists of several different types of cards, each of which are played in a different way. New Rules cards change the way the game is played and take effect as soon as they are played. These are placed beside any previous new rule cards unless they override the basic rules of draw 1 and play 1. If this is the case, the new rule cards is placed so that it overlaps the part of the Basic Rule that it is replacing. Goal cards are placed in the middle of the play area and establish the requirements for a play to win the game. If there is another Goal card already face up on the table, it is discarded and replaced by the new card. Keepers are placed face up in front of the player that played it. These are the cards needed for a player to win. Action cards are one time use cards. To play one of these, the player reads it aloud and then does whatever the card says. The card is then placed in the discard pile. Creeper cards are immediately placed face up in front of the player that drew it. These usually will keep a player from winning the game. However there are a few Goal cards that will actually use them. Once placed, the player will then draw another card. This does not count as a draw or a play. Surprise cards are able to be played at any time during the game. During the player’s turn, it works like an Action card. These cards can even be used to cancel out another Surprise card.
One last thing should be noted, once a player has played the corresponding number of cards as required by the rules, they will then be forced to discard a number of cards if their hand has more than the current hand limit rule in play. At the beginning of the game, there is no hand limit. Only when a new rule is played that limits the number of cards in a player’s hand will this come into play. Once a player has completed these actions, play passes to the next player in turn order.
The game continues until one of the players has met the conditions of the current Goal. The player that does this is the winner, even if this happens on another player’s turn.
COMPONENTS
This game consists of a box of 100 cards. The cards are great quality and have a nice sheen to them. The artwork on the cards looks like it was ripped from the original Alice in Wonderland stories, each with a classic look to them. The nostalgia of these cards brings up lots of fond memories of reading the original story as a child. It really carries that whimsical topsy turvy sense that you get the first time you see these images in the book. I like that even on some of the regular cards that don’t normally get artwork, some of them did, like on the Action card, “Clean Cup” there’s a picture of a tea cup and saucer. While not every card has artwork, the ones that do look great. Needless to say, I love how nice the game looks. The overall charm and fun of this game is one that I’m sure fans of Alice and all her Wonderland pals will truly enjoy seeing again. I’m definitely pleased with the look of this game.
9 out of 10
RULEBOOK
The rulebook for this game consists of a single large double sided sheet of colored paper that is multi-folded to fit inside the small game box. Once it’s all folded down, it fits nicely inside. The paper has a couple of pictures on the back side that were taken from the Alice in Wonderland story. On the front of the sheet there is a picture of a sample game for reference. The rules themself are very easy to understand and read through. I didn’t see anything that should cause any problems for players. The sheet even includes some other examples and other notes to help players understand a few concepts a bit better. The different card types are explained in detail so that everyone can understand how each one works. Overall I think the designers did a great job at wrapping everything up all nice and neatly in a easy to process and read through set of rules. I’m actually quite pleased with everything here.
8 out of 10
GAMEPLAY
Growing up I have always been a fan of Alice in Wonderland. Ever since I saw the original Disney movie I’d made it a point to get anything and everything Wonderlandian that I could. I have so many different versions of the story in VHS, DVD and in print. I’ve even dressed up as the Mad Hatter numerous times for Halloween. Needless to say when I saw this version of one of my families favorite card games, I knew that I had to own a copy. It combines our love for Fluxx with my love for Wonderland. What can I say, it’s like the topsy turvy world of Wonderland was made for Fluxx. The improbable and impossible silliness crossed with the ever changing world of Fluxx is a marriage made in Heaven. I like how much fun this version of Fluxx is, especially including a great Creeper like the Jabberwock. While I do think that the Queen of Hearts could have been made into a Creeper as well, I’ll forgive the oversight. I think this is one that fans of Fluxx or Alice in Wonderland will really enjoy, like my family and I do. A lot of that silliness and unpredictability really comes through with each play of the card, something that Fluxx has been known for. Personally I think it translated beautifully with this edition. This is one version that I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy. It’s a great card game with a great theme that’s family friendly. I love it.
9 out of 10
OVERALL
Wonderland Fluxx is a light weight family friendly card game of ever changing rules and goals set in the topsy turvy world of Wonderland. It is a great card game that doesn’t take a very long time to play. Most game sessions last around 15-20 minutes. The cards are great quality and are silly and fun with artwork from the classic literature by Lewis Carroll. The rulebook is well designed and it very thorough. It’s easy enough for everyone to read and understand. The game itself is cute and fun and silly. It’s family friendly and easy enough for everyone from grandma to the grand kids. Fans of Alice in Wonderland will absolutely adore this version of the game and Fluxx fans will enjoy the added silliness that this one brings to the table. This is one that my whole family has enjoyed, especially my daughter and me. This is another great version of the game and one that I highly recommend. I really love it. Don’t worry, you don’t have to climb through the mirror or fall down a rabbit hole to enjoy this one. It’s available now. You’re welcome.
9 out of 10
For more information about Fluxx and other great games, please check out Looney Labs at their site.
GAMING BITS 