Who doesn't love a good food fight? This game is definitely a bit different than your standard food fight. Here, you ARE the food. This is a strictly 2 player game and while it is technically a "kids game" it is still a fun game for adults.
There are a few "expansions" that can all be played as standalone and you can combine any of them to make custom "teams". We have the Veggies VS Meats. One player receives a deck of Veggies; Broccoli, Lettuce, and Onion. The other player receives a deck of Meats; Bacon, Chicken, and Steak.
All the cards are placed on the table in a 3x3 grid against the other player's cards.
On your turn 3 things occur.
1. Take one of the three available actions (Roll for Beans, Attack, or Swap Fighters and Collect 1 Bean).
Roll for Beans: Beans are currency. There are two dice in the game that you will be consistently rolling. The majority of the sides of these die are different amounts of beans. When you roll for beans, you re-roll anything that isn't beans, and collect your total number of beans.
Attack: Each card as an image of their fighter and a little thought bubble for whom that fighter can target. In general, only the front row can attack the other player's front row, and only directly across or at a diagonal. There are exceptions to this rule with special object, but we'll get to those in the "Buy" phase. When attacking you choose which of your Food Fighters is targeting which of your opponent's Food Fighters. Remember to look at the thought bubbles and who is able to attack whom. Then roll both of the white dice. If you get a SPLAT you succeed in hitting that opponent. If you roll only beans, you miss but you get to collect those beans.
Swap Fighters and Collect 1 Bean: That's exactly as it sounds. You have the ability to move any two of your own fighters to the each other's positions. It's a strategically beneficial move when you are trying to protect a couple of your fighters or get into position to attack the opponent's fighter.
2. Buy anything from the "pantry."
Pantry items are what your beans are for. Everyone has 2 Spoons, 3 Crackers, 1 Pan, and access to the Red Die.
Spoons: Spoons cost 3 Beans. You may equip any of your Fighters with a Spoon. With that spoon the Fighter may target any opponent's Fighter in a straight line from them, vertical or diagonal. If the Fighter chooses to use their spoon, they throw that spoon as they would for any regular attack, and roll the die. If they miss, they lose the spoon. If they hit, they lose the spoon. The spoon returns to the "pantry" after use. Pretty great for ranged attacks though.
Crackers: Crackers act as shields. They are a cost of 4 Beans. If your Fighter is successfully attacked, but they are holding a cracker, that cracker takes the hit and crumbles. The cracker is then removed from the game. Use your crackers wisely. Each player only has access to 3.
Pan: There is only 1 pan for each player. The pan is used to cover up the enemy in a Fighter's thought bubble. When the pan is in use, the Fighter using it may attack any enemy. The pan remains in play until that Fighter successfully makes an attack. It then gets returned to the pantry to re-purchase on another turn.
Red Die: The red die is a Bonus Die. Ultimately, it gives you a higher chance of succeeding your attack, or collecting more beans. The bonus die costs 4 Beans.
3. Your opponent fills any gaps.
Should you successfully attack an opponent, this is where that opponent gets the opportunity to take any Fighters from the back of their line to fill in the open spaces.
The game ends when one player has successfully attacked 3 of one type of the opponent's food.
There are also 3 Power Cards available to each Opponent for a larger number of beans and these power cards have various abilities, costs, and time frames. They're great to play with for adults, but if you are playing with non-reading children, it's fine to leave them out.
Now, that's a whole lot of random things to read about but I assure you, this game is so simple my 5 year old plays it. She is usually not a fan of strategy games. There have been very few that will get her interested enough to start thinking a few moves ahead and I am pleased to say this is one of them. This game does a great job of introducing the concepts of strategic thinking, planning ahead, and even resource management.
Game: Food Fighters
Publishers: Kids Table Board Games
Cost: $20-$25
Pros: Great for beginner strategy
Cons: It makes me a little hungry
Recommended?: Yes! Especially if you have kids. It says ages 8+ but if you take out the "power cards" younger kids can figure it out.