Cockroach infestations? Yes, please!

After seeing "Kakerlaken Poker" or in Japanese "ゴキブリポカー" (Gokiburi Poker) appear as a top 10 on a lot of Japanese board gaming catalogs, I decided to check out what the hype was all about.  So I picked up a copy of the Japanese version (luckily the cards had no language specific text)  and once I opened the box, I was immediately hooked by the colourful and amazingly cute artwork.  This cute little Take That style game by Jacques Zeimet has been my go to game for the month.  You can print out a Tuckbox from BGG which allows you to fit this game into your pocket, literally.

There's a different image on each of the 64 cards, no 2 cockroaches are exactly alike, which makes the game higher on my Gaming list.  The artist who designed the FANTASTIC art is Rolf Vogt (yes, I was so interested in who did the art, I looked it up on BGG).  If you hated creepy crawlies before, this game might make you rethink those pre-conceptions.  

"Awh, isn't that cockroach cute...."

The box art - it's a small little box which measures about 11cm x 11cm x 3 xm

This game is all about bluffing and seeing how well you can trick other players into taking the pests.  If you get a plague of 4 identical creepy crawlies in front of you, then the game is over, and you lose.  It takes around 20-30 minutes and you'll want to play it more than once.  Or in my case 4-5 times in a row...if only my friends would allow me.

Components of the game - 64 cards

There are English instructions on BGG but it's not that clearly set out, so read it carefully, especially the paragraph after Point 2.  Also it doesn't specify what happens when a player is wrong when calling a card - it says you "take the card", but it means "place the card face-up on the table in front of you".



Game Play in a Nutshell:
Kakerlaken Poker can take 2-6 players and scales quite well.  For 3-6 players, the cards are dealt out evenly between the players, and the remaining cards are set aside.  Players can look at their cards in their hand.  A starting player is determined (I use Start Player), and that player says 1 of the 8 creatures available and may lie (if you get stuck, you can just look at the back of the cards), and passes it to any player at the table.

The 8 different creepy crawlies

The recipient (player who receives the card) can either
1. Call them on the card : say true/false - if it's correctly called, the card is given back to the owner and placed face-up on the table / if it's called incorrectly, the card is placed face-up in front of recipient
2. Pass the card - the recipient may then look at the card, and then must pass the card to another player and name the card (and of course may lie), the last person who has not passed/received this card before, MUST take option 1, and call the last passer on the card.

The first player to get 4 of the same creepy crawlies in front of him/her loses, and the game is over.  In the 2 player version, 10 cards are randomly removed from the game, and the recipient cannot pass the card, and whomever gets 5 of the same creepy crawlies loses.


A brief...brief...(a short some-airy): in this case it's a LONG winded some-airy...
This is a game I can play anywhere there's a small table, and with its added portability, this might end up being one of my favourite games of all time.  I've played this at Starbucks, at a restaurant, with friends that hate board games, new gamers, experienced gamers and it's always been a lot of fun.

When you end up getting 3 of the same creature in front of you, the tension rises, as other players try to attack you, and your 50/50 guesses had to count.  Don't make a mistake, or you'll be the one who ends the game too early.   Yes, I can't get enough of this game.  I don't even mind losing.  It's a game where you'll all laugh, and squirm.  You start to hope that no one passes you a card, and when they do the decisions you have to make are painstaking.  Should I call them on the card, should I pass the card...but what if someone calls me on the card....Gahhh!!!!!!

I liked this game SO much that I went out and bought a few more copies so I could give them away as gifts, and then I went out and bought the other brother/sister  to this game, called Kakerlaken Salat (Cockroach Salad).  Kakerlaken Poker is definitely one of my favourite games for Dec 2011.

Perfect match: You'll like this you like to play backstabbery Take That! Hyahhh! type games.  You'll like this if you haven't played games before.  You'll like this if you want to beat those friends of yours that like logic puzzle-y games.

Please sir, can I have some more?  Phantom Jewel Thief, Hornochsen (Take 5), Geschenkt (No Thanks!), Saboteur will all make you laugh at the person who ends up with the with the bad card.  Now, join me in saying - Muahahahhhhh....

Gateway to Gaming Heaven (gateway game): Yes, this will bring everyone closer to gaming enlightenment.

Adding fuel to the fire (adding to the addiction):  There's a strong chance of that happening. One round of cockroaches may not be enough.  More is not always better, but in this case...muahahah...

Gamer vs Non Gamer: This game can easily be played with a mixed group.  There are no advantages of being a Board Gaming Master. 

Add to your collection: Yes! I highly HIGHLY recommend adding this game into your collection.    You MUST add this to your collection so you can plague your friends with cockroach infestations!!!