BILDER Overview - Kickstarter Prototype

I received a prototype copy of BILDER in exchange for posting an overview of the game, which was passed on to another reviewer.  I played the game 4 times with 3, 4, and 5 players.  The prototype I received seemed to be laser cut MDF.  I painted it silver for my own enjoyment, but the final version of the game will come with laser cut pieces made from quality, natural wood. My goal is not to convince you to back the game, but to let you know how the game plays so that you can decide for yourself if it's something you would enjoy.

I’m not usually a fan of party games or word games.  I’m not very good at thinking on the spot, and having to draw or act things out or get others to guess what’s going on in the crazy recesses of my mind never goes well.  So when I was asked if I’d like a preview copy of BILDER I was about to write it off, but out of curiosity I checked the YouTube links of how the game is played.  I found myself laughing aloud at some of the examples and getting excited at a game that’s basically an excuse for grown adults to play with blocks like small children.  I was taken in by the creativity the game encourages, and agreed to check it out.

BILDER, by Monkeyshine Games, is a party game in the vein of Pictionary or Charades where you’re trying to get others to guess a word or phrase.  What makes it stand out from the crowd is the variety of wooden pieces you combine to build and act out your word.  While you’re not allowed to talk or make noises, you’ll find that only a few words can be guessed based off of a static scene.  The magic is is in acting out your phrase and adapting to the guesses other players are throwing your way.  It's at once accessible and familiar, yet something entirely of its own.

What strikes me most about BILDER is seeing the inner workings of another's mind.  Those that are good at the game come up with ideas so clearly conveyed through the abstract they seem like geniuses, and others are able to adapt to the group, leading them to the answer.

 

A good example is when my friend picked up a gun-looking piece and held it next to a meeple’s hand, then knocked over another meeple.  She looked at us expectantly and we began guessing, “Shooter?  Killer?  Hunter?"  She's motioning for more but we've hit a dead end so she looks around, nodding as she grabs two pieces to make a house. 

The meeple-gunner is in the house, comes out to knock over a meeple then goes inside again, and then out to knock over another meeple and back.  We're all talking it through at this point, but still can't figure it out. 

She shakes her head and grabs the cogwheel, her favorite piece.  The gunner is in the house, comes out to knock over a meeple and goes back home, and then she turns the cogwheel and repeats.  "The wheel, that's time.  Time is moving forward?" I ask.  She nods excitedly, and keeps repeating the actions as I finally blurt out "Serial killer!"  The use of the cogwheel for time was brilliant, showing her ability to think outside the box and adapt to our guesses, guiding us to the right word.

Each word is listed on a “What” card with a category; B – Beings, I – Imagine, L – Location, D – Device, E – Event, and R – Rest (as in, all the rest).  The first person that guesses correctly gets the card with the word on it, which counts as one point.  The person who is getting others to guess the word (the builder) picks a “How” card which tasks them with building in different ways.

This could be something limiting such as having to build with your non-dominant hand or having to build with your wrists touching at all times, or something generous such as getting to make noises on your turn.  If the builder is able to get others to correctly guess the word while meeting the restriction(s) of the How card, they get to keep that card for a point themselves. 

Other “How” cards are challenges for playing with 4+ players.  Challenges offer a wild-card letter for the winner, and may be everything from two people building at the same time to having to dig through all of the pieces blindfolded to locate 3 meeples in under 30 seconds. 

The first player to spell B-I-L-D-E-R with their accumulated cards ends the game and earns themselves an extra 3 points.  The winner is the player that has the most points in total.

It’s all very straightforward, but oh the frustration when others simply can't decipher what you're trying to convey! 

I was tasked with an “I” - Scooby Doo.  Scooby always runs into Shaggy's arms when he's scared so I started with a dog jumping, afraid, and running into a meeple’s arms. "Dog bite!  Dog attack!" No...  Something else, he's scared.  I know!  I grabbed the piece that looks like fire and then the dog getting scared and running into the meeple’s arms. "Scared dog!  Scaredy cat!  Wait, the dog is running from a fire, oh, oh, forest fire!"

How the heck did I lead them down the path to forest fire?!  No, start from scratch... Think, think.  Got it!

Ruh-Roh!

I wipe everything away and set up the car piece with 4 meeples and the dog in front of it, proudly displaying Mystery Incorporated and The Mystery Machine.  Surely, they should get it now!  But no, "Family vacation!  Road trip!  Wait, but what does that have to do with a forest fire?"  Sighing loudly I hang my head in defeat.

 

It's the moments of genius that make Bilder shine, but it's these moments of failure that make you all laugh until you cry!

BILDER is certainly a fun game for a large group, but it suffers the same ailments as other games of its ilk.  It's definitely not the best game for people who don't like to be put on the spot or have trouble coming up with ideas under pressure. It can also suffer from groupthink - sometimes it’s tough to come up with a different way of acting out a word when you've seen something work well in the past.  In much the same way, some clues are so memorable with certain friends that you toss the card out when drawn because it wouldn't be fair to others.  Also, because there are only so many cards in the deck expansions are needed to keep the game fresh.  However, these issues are minor and expected for this type of party game.

Where BILDER stands out is in its ability to unlock your imagination, asking you to turn an innocuous piece of wood into a lightning bolt, a snake, ocean waves, a staircase, a sword from Minecraft, or whatever else may suit your fancy to get your point across (and yes, in the games I played it served as all of the above!).  It encourages creativity, and exercises mental muscles that that many adults could stand to use more often.  

Interested in this game?  BILDER is live on Kickstarter now!