The Opinionated Gamers

Funkoverse – Harry Potter

• Publisher: Funko Games
• Players: 2-4
• Ages: 10+
• Time: 30-45 minutes
• Times played: 3 with this set, a review copy provided by Funko Games.  A few other games played with other Funkoverse sets

One of the current pop culture phenomenons that I have never been able to wrap my head around is the wide and high appeal of the plastic Funko Pop! plastic figurines.  You can find these in stores seemingly everywhere, with caricature-like figurines of movie characters, comic book characters, video game characters, etc. Given some of the prices that I’ve seen for particular Funko Pop! figures on eBay, there is clearly a market for these – both for casual buyers as well as collectors.

There are lots of likable games this time around so, without further ado, let’s launch in.

BUGS ON RUGS (2019): Rank 7289, Rating 7.2

A quickish set collecting game. There’s 10 or so different sets, each with a different scoring system (most of, for each, per something, exact number, etc). Each round you pick 2 cards from a common pool, Settlers-style. There’ll be 1 card left and it will trigger its set’s event, which will mix things up by drawing cards, swapping cards, etc. It’s all over in about 6 rounds. It doesn’t use the whole deck so with lots of cards missing, the point swings due to what’s randomly available near the end are big. Don’t be emotionally invested. The prime drawback is that for a simple game, the rules take a while – you need to cover all the scoring systems and the 10 different events. Or not, depending on your crew’s acceptance of luck. There’s no shortage of that in the game, but it is acceptably quick. And while there’s also nothing innovative here, it works nicely.

Jaws

• Designer: Prospero Hall
• Publisher: Ravensburger
• Players: 2-4
• Ages: 12+
• Time: 60 minutes
• Times played: 2, with review copy provided by Ravensburger USA

Jaws is the new game about an old movie that has hit the store shelves this summer.  In this game, players relive the struggle between the huge shark and the Crew thrown together to fight it. Jaws is played over two Acts, though each can be played separately if you are short on time.