Review: Enjoy Some Simplicity In THAT OLD WALLPAPER
When picking up a game called That Old Wallpaper, a beautiful, fun puzzle game is not what would come to mind. However, this lovely little game has a lot of charm and replay-ability, even if it is quite simple.
The gameplay is pretty straightforward. Players are trying to construct a wallpaper that matches in in color and shape. There is not much else to the actual gameplay other than the way to obtain pieces of the wallpaper. Players must place blind bids to draft segments which are then added to their growing wallpaper. It does get a little more complicated here or there, but after playing one quick round of bidding and placing, the game is very easy to understand by a wide variety of players.
Probably the most interesting and dynamic part of the game is the drafting system. It is kind of complex to explain here (also not necessary), but I found it to be both great for player interaction and not punishing when bad luck happens. While it can require a lot of upfront explaining, kids as young as eight and much older players are able to get the concepts with only a bit of patience.
While there is very little variety in the actual game, there is enough great core puzzle mechanics and player interaction to feel like something as strong as Bananagrams or Scrabble. Some possible asymmetry in the player colors or abilities added to individual players could’ve made things more fun or fresh, but as it stands, it is a great party/arcade card game. I was really impressed by this little game and it is worth checking out no matter the player's experience or age. It might not become a new favorite for a group of gamers or family, but it can definitely add some extra flair and fun to any game collection.
