Smirk & Dagger Games

by Curt Covert, Owner, Smirk & Dagger Games

While there are many games that are playable at two players, far fewer are specifically built for two players. Yet, the opportunities to sit and play with just two are far more plentiful – and therefore, there is almost always a sales opportunity in them. The trick is being able to match your shoppers with the perfect one. Here are two of our favorites and how to best connect them with your patrons.

SHOBU

How it’s played

One player controls all the Black stones and the other White. The object is simply to push all your opponent’s stones off any ONE of the game boards to win. On your turn, you take two moves. The first is a passive, or setup, move. You can slide your stone across the board one or two unblocked spaces in any direction, including diagonally. Your second move, the aggressive move, must exactly match the direction and number of spaces of your passive move – AND must be on the opposite color board. Only the Aggressive move has the opportunity to push an opponent’s stone into another space or off the board completely. The only condition is that you can’t push more than one stone, so creating a “double stone” defense can be effective.

Why it’s great

SHOBU has all the tactical depth of chess but with a far more simple rule set and without the intimidation factor. In fact, the first turns feel quite simple indeed, which on-ramps players effortlessly. Yet halfway through the game, the stakes get higher and the need to balance your moves across all four boards turns the experience into a challenging three-dimensional puzzle. Plus, it has amazing table presence, leading many to leave the game on the coffee table. It looks, feels and plays like an ancient game, and will scratch the itch of strategy game lovers everywhere.

SHOBU has just come back into stock, so call your sales rep today. SND 1005, $34.99

boop

How it’s played

Each player begins the game with eight Kittens of their color. On your turn, you place a kitten onto any open space on the board, with the goal of lining up three kittens in a row, either vertically, horizontally or diagonally. Once you do, those Kittens are removed from the board and replaced in your pool by three adult Cats. Then, just line up three Cats in a row to win – but of course it isn’t that easy. That’s because every time you place a Kitten on the bed, it goes “boop,” and pushes every other Kitten next to it one space away. The pieces repel each other, even your own pieces, making a lineup of three incredibly difficult to achieve. Particularly with both you AND your opponent constantly “booping” kittens around. It’s like … herding cats!

Why it’s great boop is a game whose cover and components sell the game instantly. I mean, it is about cats jumping on a bed and bouncing other cats out of it. It has a quilted fabric game board resting on the box to form a bed – with 32 adorable wooden cat meeples. Meowples. Booples? Whether they are cat lovers, families or just gift buyers, it is a slam dunk. But, hiding underneath the cute trappings is an amazingly challenging abstract, worthy of the most die-hard strategy game player who will discover its merits within a handful of moves and walk away shocked that they bought a “cute cat game.”

Boop will be coming to retail in October. SND 1009, $34.99

A 19-year industry veteran and the inventor of Cutthroat Caverns, Hex Hex, and Nevermore (to name a few), Curt Covert’s recent line, Smirk & Laughter, has expanded their reach to a broader audience than ever with games intended to connect with players on an emotional level.