Hey, That's My Fish!

When was the last time you played a game about penguin feeding frenzy? Never? Well that's a sign that we're dealing with something original, which is highly expected since it comes from the board game world. I'm implying that the tabletop gaming world is a bastion of original game concepts. If that's the case then that must mean that this game is pretty good right?

"Hey! That's My Fish" concerns greedy penguins running around ice floes. Each player has a number of penguins that move around the board in order to collect the most fish. Sounds simple enough? There's a twist! Every time, a penguin moves, the ice that was underneath it melts into the arctic ocean. So every move changes the topography a little bit and can block further movement for your opponents. In case you are not recognizing the tactic caviar that can arise out of four groups of penguins blocking each other out, then hear me that this game is as tactical as it gets compared to its simple rule-set.

At the start of the game, each player places in turn one of their penguins on any tile that shows a single fish (these are the least valuable, as you can imagine) until all of the penguins have been placed; four penguins for two players, three for three players and two for four. This is phase is very important as each player will try to position their penguins so that they will have access to the most fish and be able block others in the process. Once that is done, each player will get to move one penguin in a straight line to any tile that is within reach (not blocked by water or another penguin). The tile that the penguin left from melts and the fish there is scored. The game ends when penguins can no longer move. The player with the most fish, wins!

The game comes with fifteen map configurations, but not all are available for the beginning. Completing a different achievement will unlock each one though. You can chose to play with up to three other players and/or computers. Unfortunately there is no online play so you're stuck with pass and play. Still, the set up is infinitely quicker than when playing the actual board game.

Conclusion

"Hey! That's My Fish" is a remarkably good game. The initial placement of penguins is a thin strategic blanket over the cutthroat tactics that are employed during the rest of the game. The theme is also kid friendly and with these simple rules, "Hey! That's My Fish" is a good choice for any age group.