Talk a walk with a desert coyote through a Prickly Path of cacti. Cacti in the wild like to grow in groups and players work competitively to bundle their cacti together to earn the most points. As gameplay continues, strategy and decision making are critical, and the game board becomes more and more decorated with beautiful and colorful cacti.
Players take turns rolling two 8-sided dice to count spaces and plant their cacti on the gameboard. They may choose which of the two numbers they wish to move the coyote (here’s where the strategy starts!). Next they decide to plant a cactus or skip planting on their space.
Recognizing the different types of cacti (succulent, aloe, barrel) also made for great conversation amongst our group. Cacti must match color and type to earn points. It challenges players to plan, navigate decisions, and use problem solving and critical thinking skills. Players work to visualize their path and gain spatial reasoning skills too. They must carefully consider their planting moves, as well as those of their opponents to gain the most points.
It became an opportunity for players to discuss their strategies when learning how to play the first few rounds. One game tester disclosed “I go for the corners of the board with a different cactus type in each. If it’s not in a corner, I’ll skip.”
Prickly Path excels in turning gameplay into a learning opportunity. The game’s emphasis on strategy and decision-making fosters crucial cognitive skills in players of all ages. Players learn to analyze situations, predict outcomes, and adapt their strategies accordingly.
Available at SimplyFun
