A Calico Scenario of Quilts, Cats, and Non-Gumdrop Buttons

August 28, 2020 | Sessions | 0 comments

Relax by the fireside as the challenge of becoming a master quilter among cat friends unfolds with Calico.

In almost every case, I post about every single session at my solo game table. Hence the somewhat repetitive posts now and then! But sometimes I just want to play, and that’s what Calico is all about. I’ve had it out all week, working in little “cat naps” as it were… Just 15 minutes to tackle a scenario! I’ve been anything but amazing, though. To the quilt!

A Tiny, Unimportant Blog Update

I recently promised a few changes to Gameward Bound. Things have been a little slower than I would have liked, but if you look really, really closely, you might find something fun! Or nothing at all. Best just move along and ignore this…

Game Overview

Game Name: Calico
Publication Year:
 2020
Designer:
 Kevin Russ
Artist:
 Beth Sobel
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game

Scenario 2 was firmly in my sights. Several failures already made me even more determined. The cuddly cats this time were Callie, Tibbit, and Coconut. All of the black-and-white tiles are shuffled so that each cat has a pair of preferred patterns. It’s a neat way to add a little variety with a small number of components and minimal effort.

Setting Up Another Scenario in Calico
R

First Play

August 20, 2020

Complexity

2

Latest Play

December 9, 2023

Expansions

1

Setup Time

5 Minutes

Lifetime Plays

26

Play Time

15 Minutes

:

High Score

72

1

Game Area

18" x 18"

;

Low Score

37

A Handful of Tiles

The colorful tiles are so bright and cheery! It’s difficult to capture them in all their glory, but this photo hasn’t been altered except for resizing. This is just natural light.

Everything comes together with 6 different colors, in 6 unique patterns. I’m quite partial to the light blue!

I’m not colorblind, so I won’t pretend to make assumptions about visibility. However, every tile features a handy icon to indicate its coordinating button.

Another benefit of the icons? Tiles can be placed “upright” if desired. Or go with “upside-down” tiles!

The Various, High-Quality Hex Tiles for Quilting in Calico

Empty Stitching

In the beginning, I had the usual empty player board. The goal tiles always start in these 3 locations, although their exact placement may be chosen. Why this limitation?

It ensures that the goals are far enough apart. There are also strategic considerations. Look closely…

A goal tile will always share 2 quilt tiles with another goal tile, and 1 quilt tile with the other. It’s important to think about how to achieve all of the goals before starting.

A little practice over the last couple of days gave me a slight advantage, although it was all up to the drawn tiles!

Preparing to Craft a Lovely Quilt on an Empty Calico Player Board

Falling a Little Short

For this scenario, the goals are to attract 5 cats and earn 59+ points. The challenge is to keep track of every color and pattern, in addition to the goal tiles. Not so easy!

Yet I found this very relaxing, and typically didn’t sit there hemming and hawing over every decision.

Then again… I fell short with just 54 points during this attempt. So close! A couple of other buttons would have been so useful. And maybe more achieved goals.

I quickly cleared the way for another attempt. It felt like I played for much longer than a mere 15 minutes!

Falling a Little Short of the Objectives in Calico

The Perfect Quilt

Try, try again! I had some other strategies in mind, and it all came together nicely. I suppose the tile draw bag was partially to thank… I got all the right ones in the end!

With the way the cat patterns were laid out, it was very difficult to meet the goal tiles in certain areas.

In fact, I had to give up on achieving it in both colors and patterns. Instead, I focused on getting the base number in blue. It was much better than 0 points, after all! 

Still, everything paid off better than I could have hoped for. Did I get my personal best score yet? Yes, indeed!

A Gorgeous and Cat-Tastic Quilt from Calico

Solo Incompatibility

As I was cleaning up my game table and making room for another game, I remembered how I forgot to punch the promo cats. But the rules leaflet reminded me why…

For some reason, these cats are only usable with the multiplayer game in the way they’re scored. Such a shame!

I had a black cat when I was very little, and both of these reminded me of her. I may have to come up with a house rule to make Luna and Shop Cat solo-friendly.

There has to be a way! It seems like an odd oversight for a game that’s so enjoyable to play solo. 

A Slight Issue with Wonderful Promo Cats Not Compatible with the Solo Mode of Calico

Buttons and Kittens

Where did all the buttons go? A-ha! Into a cozy pile, snuggled up with the happy cat on the rulebook cover.

Maybe my posts about this game seem overly happy and cute. And maybe that’s right! Yet I love the feeling I get from playing. Everything is just so calm and peaceful.

Worst case scenario? Not enough points, or not enough cats hanging out on your quilt. It’s easy to reset, though.

I didn’t think I needed a game like this. When it arrived, I was slightly worried that its appearance would mask something overly simple. I was so, so wrong!

Cuddling Up with All the Buttons from Calico

Session Overview

Play Number: 11 and 12
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Scenario 2

Required Play Space: 14″ x 16″
Setup Time: Almost None
Play Time: 15 Minutes per Play
Outcome: 54 and 72 (1 Win and 1 Loss)

This was a resounding victory! I gladly accepted the title of “Master Quilter” and put it proudly on display. There are many scenarios to go, as well as the option to play with a random setup. What a fun way to pass the time!

An Effort Worthy of the Master Quilter Title in Calico

%

20 Plays

Affordability

Price & Value

8

Functionality

Challenges & Mechanics

7

Originality

Design & Theme

3

Quality

Components & Rules

9

Reusability

Achievement & Enjoyment

8

Variability

Distinctness & Randomness

6

+ Pros (Positives)

  • Every part of the rulebook is excellent, from the rules themselves down to the scenarios and real-life cat stories.
  • The component quality is excellent, especially at the pricepoint: With shipping, I paid $34 USD for my new copy.
  • All of the elements can be mixed and matched to create a lot of variety without a lot of work during setup.
  • Play time flies by in a way that makes it feel like much more time has gone by from start to finish.
  • There is a very calm, relaxing atmosphere to the game that makes it enjoyable and fun, but still challenging.
  • Each player board features a different border, thereby subtly changing potential strategies for tile placement.

– Cons (Negatives)

  • The box does not include an insert and the number of included bags is a little too small to organize everything.
  • A button or cat token can sometimes obscure the pattern of a quilt tile enough to make identification tricky.
  • Both of the promo cats only include multiplayer rules, which seems like an odd decision for a 1-4 player game.
  • Which tiles come out of the draw bag and in what order can have a major effect on scoring possibilities.

More Calico

Explore related posts about Calico!

Victory Conditions

Meet the Scenario Requirements

  • Overall Goal Progress 100% 100%

Goals and Milestones

R

Complete scenario 1.

R

Complete scenario 2.

R

Complete scenario 3.

R

Complete scenario 4.

R

Score at least 40 points.

R

Score at least 50 points.

R

Score at least 60 points.

R

Score at least 70 points.

Continue the Conversation

How do you like Calico? What are some of your favorite elements about it? I used to have a special category that I labeled as “cozy” games. It wasn’t even the game’s theme itself that earned this special honor. The feeling I got from playing was where it stemmed from. Only a few games in my collection fit the bill… And I do believe this one does, too!

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