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Board game reviews, strategy tips & session reports

Guillotine Game Review

GuillotineStats:
No. of players: 2-5
Amount of time to play: 30 minutes
Age requirements: 12+
Set-up time: 3-5 min

Description:
Guillotine is a quick, fun card game for 2-5 players. Although the theme may seem a bit grizzly the art is whimsical and the names of the cards are funny. The setting is The French Revolution and you are an executioner trying to behead the least popular nobles. Each day 12 nobles are lined up and you take turns killing the one at the front of the line. Once all the nobles in the line are gone the day is over. Luckily you have action cards which can change the order of the line. After three days, the highest total carries the day.

Guillotine is easy to learn and play. There are two kinds of cards, nobles and action cards. As I mentioned before 12 nobles are placed face-up to form the line. The noble at the front of the line at the end of your turn goes into your score pile. Action cards affect the line by moving the nobles, changing the value of cards or even remove nobles from other players’ score piles. You do not have to play an action card on your turn, but you may. After you take the noble at the front of the line you draw a new action card (whether you played one or not) and your turn is over.

Once the last noble is taken a new day starts and 12 new nobles form the line.

A Quick Review:
Guillotine is a great game night starter. It is light, quick and easy to learn. It is light on strategy, but pretty high on interaction as you move higher point nobles away from other players and into your score pile. Although it depends on some luck it is still a fun ride that can be enjoyed by all.

Score and synopsis: (Click here for an explanation of these review categories.)
Strategy 3 out of 6
Luck 4 out of 6
Player Interaction 4 out of 6
Replay Value 5 out of 6
Complexity 2 out of 6
Fun 4 out of 6
Overall 4 out of 6

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2 Responses to “Guillotine Game Review”

  1. fattom23 says:

    I absolutely LOVE this game. It’s a great social game (you don’t even have to try in order to get people to mess with each other), and works well as a drinking game (about which I’ll say no more). Every single time I play, I try desperately to save the Piss Boy (his life is hard enough without getting decapitated, too!). However, you’re right, luck does play a very large part in this particular game.

  2. jason says:

    Every time I see the Piss Boy I am reminded of Mel Brooks’ “History of the World: Part 1” then I sit and quote the movie…good times!

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