Queen Alice

• Designer: Hector Carrion, David Heras
• Artist: Amelia Sales
• Publisher: Combo Games 
• Player Count: 1-4

“It’s a great huge game of chess that’s being played – all over the world – if this is the world at all, you know. Oh what fun it is!”

– Alice “Through the Looking Glass” 

Queen Alice has been highest on my want list since I first saw the announcement for crowdfunding. I am quite happy to say it has not disappointed me. I loved playing chess and reading as a youngster and one of my favorite books was and still is Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. I’ve been in search of an Alice board game that really hits the marks, strong strategy play with a well woven theme and this is it. 

In Queen Alice, the Red and White Queen are racing to reach the end of their respective tracks and as players you are supporting the queens and trying to take advantage of the scoring opportunities along the way. The game uses 4 minigames each representing one of Alice’s adventures. From Wonderland players have an opportunity to party with the Mad Hatter and March Hare and also to visit the Queen of Heart’s Rose Garden. From the other side of the Looking Glass players will build Humpty Dumpty’s wall and visit Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. The Tea Party helps players draft cards. The Rose Gardens provides ongoing resource benefits such as a larger hand of cards. Humpty Dumpty’s wall will provide some resources and in game points. And Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee will give players books to purchase bookmarks. Bookmarks can provide end game scoring, resources and ongoing benefits during the game. 

The game uses deck building mechanisms which leads us to the more innovative part of the game which involves an abridged chess board with chess pieces! On their turn, players discard a card netting a small benefit like resources and play a card possibly getting a play benefit but more importantly the card played represents which chess piece to move. Most movements follow standard chess rules. Capturing another piece rewards players. The column the piece played ends its turn determines which mini game action players can take while the row gives a resource.

Each Queen has 2 scoring tiles, each representing one of the mini games, along the path and the queen that is farthest ahead will have her scoring tile points increased. I think one of the slightly confusing aspects for first time play is that players are not necessarily tied to one color Queen although being strong in a particular minigame with the associated Queen can net players big points at the end. There are several scoring tiles and they are randomly determined for goo variety.

Final thoughts: The game art captures the spirit of the novels and production is top notch (I did spring for the upgraded tokens) with fun wooden chess pieces (not quite enough to play real game although we can hope), dual layered player boards and nice tuck boxes for the components. The board and some of the minigame boards are double sided and adjusts to 2 players which I really appreciate. I love all the different choices of strategies with the minigames. They feel well balanced and you want to explore them all. The deck building/drafting aspect integrates well in the game and I love the nod to chess.

Thoughts from Opinionated Gamers:

• I love it! Lorna
• I Like it
• Neutral
• Not for Me