DESIGNER: Fabien Riffaud and Juan Rodriguez

PUBLISHER: Bombyx/Asmodee

PLAYERS: 2-6

AGES: 6 and up

TIME: 20 minutes

TIMES PLAYED: 6, with a copy I purchased

I left the table at a boardgaming con to use the facilities, after instructing the other players to choose a game. We had a dinner reservation, so I knew we wouldn’t be playing anything too long, but I came back to a very pretty box and a pile of plastic ladders. A couple of years ago I would have inwardly rolled my eyes and thought “oh great – a dexterity game” but over the past year or so I have developed a new appreciation for the genre and I was intrigued, so I decided to go with it. It turns out to have been a good decision.  When I went to pick up a copy the next time I was ordering games, I was surprised to learn this game had come out in 2017; I had never seen it or heard of it.

The game comes in a square box that contains a base, 30 ladders, a  die, and some wooden tears that are used to track points (which are bad).

You put the base in the middle of the table and place 2 straight ladders in any configuration that you’d like; this forms the base on which the rest of the game will be played. 

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On your turn you roll the die and then place a ladder on the structure, following the result of the die roll.

– place the ladder so that it is touching only one other ladder,

– place the ladder so that it is touching only two other ladders. Or

– place the ladder so that it is the highest point on the structure.

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The structure may shift while you are placing your new ladder, but that’s fine as long as nothing hits the base or the table. 

If you failed to place your ladder based on the die result or any ladder pieces fall to the table you have made the moon cry and you must take a wooden tear.

Play continues until all of the teardrops are gone. The player with the fewest teardrops wins.

MY THOUGHTS ON THE GAME

I really enjoyed this game the first time I played, and I am happy to report that my enjoyment has continued on repeated plays.  It works well with any number from 2 to 6. The game lasts longer with fewer players, but then you get to enjoy more strategy as you spend more time actually contributing to the structure. With more players you get to spend more time sitting back and watching the chaos that may ensue, but it’s still fun.

The components are sturdy and well-made. Dexterity is not one of my strong suits, but I am still able to play competently enough, in part thanks to the fact that the pieces are ladders, since there are multiple ways to hold them to place them. Everything fits in the box well, and the box itself is very pretty.

The rules are clear and well-written and you can be up and playing in two minutes, including set up. While the rule book is a few pages long, that is mostly to include some nice artwork, as the rules themselves are very brief.

When we get back to actually being able to play with other gamers I see this as being the perfect filler while we wait for other tables to finish up. Until then, we’ll continue playing it 2 player and honing our ladder placement skills.

Comments from other Opinionated Gamers

Mark Jackson (2 plays): An enjoyable dexterity game that is very attractive… it would be a lovely coffee table piece in a home that doesn’t have small children and/or inquisitive pets. 

Ratings from the Opinionated Gamers

Ratings from the Opinionated Gamers

• I love it! Tery N
• I like it. Mark Jackson
• Neutral.
• Not for me