The Hare & the Tortoise
2-5
7+
15
THE THIRD GAME IN THE "TALES & GAMES" SERIES!
The tortoise accepted the hare’s demand for a rematch, and the news spread throughout the country. The great race was about to commence, and all the participants were finally ready for this big showdown. Who, among the hare, the tortoise, the wolf, the lamb, and the fox, will be celebrated as the fastest runner in the woods? Bet on a good animal, and don’t forget: Nothing is served by running; you must leave on time!
FEATURES:
- A tale and game in the same unique book-shaped box
- A clever and simple racing game for the whole family, with 2 difficulty levels
- Great components, with even a small cardboard Podium and Finish Line to assemble
- Splendid artwork by Mathieu Leyssenne
User Reviews (1)
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The Hare & the Tortoise is a simple race game. You and the other players play cards which move five animals along a racetrack, with different rules for moving each animal so, for example, the fox simply moves as many spaces as cards have been played for it, and the tortoise plods along one space, even if no cards have been played, though can move faster if four tortoise cards have been played that round.
At the start of the game, players back two animals (or three in a two-player game), being dealt one unique “starter” card each (two in a two-player game) and choosing another from a hand of cards. These are secret wagers that are revealed at the end of the game and players are awarded points according to the finishing positions of the animals they backed.
The secret backing of animals means that part of the game is about not being too obvious about wanting a certain animal to win. Though you may well find that your goals coincide with another player, at which point you can team up to help your animal along.
All of this plays really quickly and doesn’t take long to explain. Plus there are handy reference cards to remind everyone how each animal moves, and in what order.
I have played this in a few groups now, and often hear someone saying that one of the animals seems particularly weak. The thing is that each group seems to mention a different animal, and I have seen all of them win more than once, so I think that speaks well for the balance of the game.
What does seem to make more of a difference, though, is the number of players. With two players you have two “starter” animals to back, and one choice, so the game is essentially a battle between the animals you *don’t* share, which is fine but quite luck-based. With three players, you can often find that you aren’t sharing an animal with anyone, which can be a problem, or the player who shares one animal with each of the other players has a huge advantage. On the other hand, with three players, there is a good chance that there are two animals not being supported at all, and that can make for an interesting dynamic. With four or five players things seem to work more comfortably.
With any player count, though, this is a fast game with a large element of chance, some tactical play, and a little bit of bluffing and reading of other players. I have found it works well as a family game, a quick lunchtime bit of fun, or a filler, and I thoroughly enjoy it as such. Sometimes you don’t want to be thinking too hard.