One, Two, Three, Four, Five: This Game Goes to NMBR 9
Stack numbered tiles to create solid layers to keep building up scoring opportunities in a quick solo puzzle with NMBR 9.
It’s been nice to go back through my collection and discover some newer arrivals that aren’t necessarily new releases. NMBR 9 came highly recommended from a number of sources, and I was excited! The puzzle seemed interesting but relatively light, which was exactly what I was in the mood for. I only missed the vowels in the name. Ha ha!
Game Overview
Game Name: NMBR 9
Publication Year: 2017
Designer: Peter Wichmann
Artist: Fiore GmbH
Publisher: Z-Man Games
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Numbered tiles correspond to a deck of cards. Each indicates which tile to add. A solid foundation allows tiles to stack in layers, provided there are no gaps. Higher levels multiply victory points more and more, so finding a way to construct lots of overlap is essential to the fun!
First Play
May 7, 2023
Complexity
1
Latest Play
May 7, 2023
Expansions
0
Setup Time
Almost None
Lifetime Plays
8
Play Time
5 Minutes
High Score
87
Game Area
16" x 12"
Low Score
45
An Amazing Insert
Most of the solo game inserts I admire are useful almost exclusively for setup and cleanup. Saving that time is always appreciated, but this one has even more!
Since the components consist of a small deck of cards and a lot of tiles, the insert means everything is ready to play.
The box might look a little larger, yet it’s all there to keep stacks of numbered tiles neatly organized. No need to remove any of these until a card calls for a specific tile!
I also found this helped reset everything between plays. This is a huge selling point: It makes playing so easy!
Randomized Cards
Each numbered tile is represented in the deck twice. I’ve seen unofficial variants to keep playing through with all of the tiles, but I stuck with the simple rules to start with.
It boils down to drawing a card and placing that tile somewhere. It’s all about creating a solid foundation and then stacking tiles to reach higher and higher levels.
Scoring is better on the top layers, although it depends on the base value of the tile… Which is clearly depicted!
Knowing the shapes and best ways to connect them is helpful, yet not at all necessary to have a fun time.
Creating New Layers
What a fun assortment of tiles! My first few plays were a little bit of a mess as I left open areas in central sections.
A newly placed tile can never overhang an open area, so it can be very tricky. Tiles on higher layers must also overlap at least two tiles underneath… More challenges!
I didn’t mind my amateur stacking abilities, though. Play time was a matter of minutes and gave me fun choices.
The card order also mattered, and I got into the rhythm of hoping for specific numbers at various points. The dreaded 0 tile was quite unkind at times. Ha ha!
Making a Pyramid
It’s certainly possible to play mathematically and with the most optimal placements in mind, but I kept on playing purely for the sheer fun of seeing what I could do.
This assortment was pretty excellent! With a 7 on the third layer, that tile alone was worth 21 victory points. Yeah!
I knew that it was worth it to create some sort of pyramid structure, yet those open areas sometimes created new challenges I had to work around. It was possible, though.
Scoring took a little time, although it was easy enough to work from the top down to add and multiply!
The Appeal of Simpler Solo Puzzles
I will often use words like simple, straightforward, or quick when it comes to some solo games. Many I consider to be puzzles fall into this realm, but those are not negative descriptors. Although there might not be a lot of deep strategies or different paths to try out, there are a lot of reasons to appreciate these kinds of games.
On the surface, a 5 minute playtime to stack numbered tiles in a slightly different order might not sound exciting. However, that excitement factor isn’t something I want in every solo game. Sometimes, a cozy or relaxing game is all I want! That’s why this one is so enjoyable, even though it might seem rather repetitive. Just a pleasant experience!
Session Overview
Play Number: 1-8
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Outcome: 45, 66, 51, 69, 82, 87, 51, 83 (3 Wins & 5 Losses)
This was a very fun sort of puzzle that I found myself wanting to play over and over again! Forming that bottom foundation was important, yet there were plenty of choices about the best way to build up the layers. Each play lasted a matter of a few minutes, but there were always interesting turns. I rotated plenty of numbered tiles and lamented when both of the 9 tiles ended up on the bottom layer. Lots to love here, and I’m so glad I own this game!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
7
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
5
Quality
Components & Rules
7
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
9
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
4
+ Pros (Positives)
- The included insert is entirely functional for both setup and during play, cutting down on a lot of time.
- Play moves quickly and smoothly with practically no rules to memorize and plenty of interesting decisions.
- There might not be any sort of theme present, yet the colorful tiles make the final assortment look appealing.
- Figuring out how to handle open areas in the lower layers is intriguing without requiring too much thought.
- High scores may be chased by working out the best patterns, or the game can simply be a quick and fun puzzle.
- After a few plays, it’s typically pretty clear to work out some better strategies to keep the tiles compact.
– Cons (Negatives)
- The cardboard tiles aren’t the highest quality and don’t always nest or stack as neatly as they should.
- Bad luck with the order of the cards can put some of the most valuable numbered tiles on the bottom layer.
- It’s usually pretty easy to calculate scores, but being able to quickly add and multiply each level is necessary.
- Gameplay is very repetitive with practically no variety, although this can turn the game into a relaxing activity.
Victory Conditions
Score 80+ Points
- Overall Goal Progress 50%
Goals and Milestones
Score at least 80 points.
Score at least 90 points.
Continue the Conversation
Have you had a chance to try out NMBR 9? What is your highest score? It looks like there are ways to reach upwards of 200 victory points, although I’m content having this as a simple and quick puzzle. The colorful tiles make it easy to spot the numbered tiles, and I just hope the card order works in my favor. Definitely lots more to enjoy with this one!
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