Review of Fairy Tile

Game: Fairy Tile

Designer: Matthew Dunstan, Brett J. Gilbert

Published: Iello Games

Players: 2-4

Playtime: 30 Minutes

Play Type: Tile Placement

Synopsis:

Once upon a time there was a Dragon, a knight and a beautiful princess. Your job is to write the rest of their story. The player who is able to complete their story first will be crowned the winner.

Game Play:

Fairy Tile is a lightweight tile placement game where players must line up the three characters to meet the requirements on their story cards. Players will take turns completing one of two actions throughout the game. They will choose to either develop their story or turn a page in their book.

Develop your Story

• Players will first go on an adventure. During this phase of the round players will either add a tile to the board or move one of the three characters.
• Characters each have a specific pattern of movement. The princess can move one space in any direction and jump between castles on the board. The knight can move exactly two spaces away, but cannot end in a space adjacent to where he began. The dragon must move in a straight line as far as he can, until he reaches the edge of a the kingdom.
• After you have completed one of those two actions, you may resolve your current story card if the conditions are met.

Turn a Page in the Book

• Put your current story card on the bottom of your deck and draw a new one.
• Turn over your Magic Token. When the star side is face up, the player may turn it over on a subsequent turn to take two go on an adventure actions rather than one.

Players will continue completing one of these two actions until one player has completed the requirements of each of the story cards in their deck. Once the last one is read, that player wins. In the rare occasion that a player cannot meet an objective on their card because the landscape will not meet the requirements, that player loses.

Components:

Fairy Tile is vibrant and beautiful. The artwork included on the story cards illustrated by Miguel Coimbra is whimsical and thematic. The story cards are also easy to read and decipher. The three figures included are simple but beautiful, and they come pre-painted. The tiles that make up the board are sturdy and the symbols are clear throughout.

Overview:

Positives:

• Quick Gameplay
• Easy to Teach
• High Player Interaction
• Family Friendly
• Thematic

Negatives:

• Does Not Play Well at 2 Players
• Back-and-Forth Over Characters can be Monotonous
• Run Away Winners

Fairy Tile is a light simple tile placement game. It is a great game for families who enjoy fantasy themes. However, the game can be frustrating, especially when played at two players. If players have conflicting interests on their story cards, the movement of characters can easily become a battle. The use of the “turn the page” action must be carefully considered when this happens. I could see using this game to help teach children problem solving skills and when to work around a problem using the turn the page action. Even when using that action carefully though, the back and forth can be unbearable, especially at two players.

In games with a higher player count, this adds an interesting aspect of player interaction. Players can use other players’ goals to their benefit and work around them, if they can figure out what those goals are. Players who play smart can often take the lead early and be difficult to catch up to.

If players enjoy a light game with high player conflict, then Fairy Tile will likely appeal to them. The beautiful components and thematic game play will win over families. The simplistic game play makes it an easy gate way game, especially for those who enjoy Disney stories or older fairy tales. I would especially suggest Fairy Tile if you enjoy other story telling game like Once Upon a Time or Above and Below.