Tabletop Game Review: Robo Junkyard

Tabletop Game Review: Robo Junkyard

Evan’s Games

2-4 Players

25-45 Minutes

I love a good, simple card game. Games that can be learned quickly and make for fun filler games will always have a place at our tabletop. A light game with a cute theme can go a long way, especially if can be easily grasped by children. A light game can be just what a group needs sometimes, so maybe Robo Junkyard is exactly what some gamers need. How is it?

As mentioned before, Robo Junkyard is a simple game that is easy to get used to. You can learn how to play in less than five minutes, making it perfect for children (Or just those who don’t want to spend a long time learning a new game). 2-4 players can enjoy the game, and it takes less than 45 minutes to play.

In Robo Junkyard, every player gets their own deck of 12 junk cards. To start, the decks are shuffled and each player draws four cards. They will add an unwanted card to a pile called “The Collection” and add the other three cards to their “Extra Stack.” The players will then draw the eight remaining cards and place one more into the Extra Stack. The other 7 cards go into the players’ hands.

Like Uno, players will play cards in an effort to empty their hands. After that, they will draw from their extra decks and try to empty that. When a player is out of cards they win the round and get two victory points. The other players will keep playing in an effort to empty their remaining cards for one victory point. The first player to get six victory points wins.

Every card has a number on it and an effect on it. The first player will play any card, and then the next player to left needs to play a card with a higher number (Similar to the card game President). If a player is unable to play a higher value card, they must take the pile and add it to their hand. The game is simple enough and would be a bit too simple if not for the card effects. The effects change the flow of the game enough to add a layer of strategy to everything. Some cards grant extra turns while others change the rules for the next card. Some cards interact with the collection that everyone contributed too, allowing cards to be swapped around.

The turns are short leading to quick rounds that keep all of the players engaged. The fast nature of the game makes it great for all types of players. Tabletop veterans will find themselves trying to outplay each other while new players will just enjoy the lack of downtime in between turns. There is a small amount of luck involved, but most players will be working to create their own good luck. The end result is a well-balanced game with plenty of long-term replayability.

The game comes with a small backstory involving little robots cleaning junkyards. The card art is bright and vivid, with cute robots filling them. All of them come with a fun theme (My favorite is the bumblebee) that gives them each a little bit of personality. The junk cards are simple and don’t have a lot of variety, but that doesn’t detract from the enjoyable experience. Despite being a simple card game, there is a lot of visual appeal here, and the bright colors will surely please those who enjoy the aesthetic.

Robo Junkyard is an enjoyable game that borrows the best of some of the card games that came before it. This is an easy game to recommend to those who are looking for a lighter gaming experience.