Review in Play!

Published in Game! Volume 28.2, December 2024

Counting aggressive sheep in Sheep Showdown

Also in the family or filler class, we find the nicely illustrated tile game Sheep Showdown. But we don't place the tiles, we pick them up. Our shepherd dog may take one straight step to a tile that is still lying down and then activate it. With 1, 2, 3, 5 sheep, that simply means taking them for the same number of points. A wolf scores -1 point, but you move someone else's dog. And then there is jumping, sliding, blocking, and a truly exploding sheep. 

You're done when you can no longer move – or of course if you get blown up. The last one remaining has to take two more steps and then we'll count sheep. Choose your route so that you get a lot of sheep, but don't get stuck; carefully taking into account wolf actions and that suicide bomber sheep. 

Given all the possibilities, especially on a nine by nine board or with many players, thinking is optional. Play quickly, enjoy the chaos, and just play a few rounds in a row. (HvH)

Text by: Wilco van Doorn and Hans van Halteren