Eggs of Ostrich Board Game Review

Year Published: 2012

Players: 3

Playing Time: 10 Minutes

Eggs eggs eggs, lovely eggs.

Broken eggs.

Hoarded eggs.

My eggs. Not my opponents’ eggs. My eggs.

Eggs of Ostrich is an extremely light game that plays in about 10 minutes, once taught, which itself is only going to take you 3-4 minutes.

You have baskets. Or bags. Whatever. Containers. For eggs.

And then eggs…come along? Are laid? The lewd poses from some of the ostriches on the card art make me wonder at this particular thematic aspect. But regardless, a variable number of eggs on any given turn are yours for the taking. You’ll play a card, reveal with everyone else at the same time, and resolve the egg-taking.

But these eggs. You see, they’re also your opponents’ for the taking. Exactly two opponents. The game only holds three players.

You play one of a handful of cards and collect eggs based on a couple simple rules for splitting the pot. You can play one of a small group of cards, but can never play them twice in a row, and each card corresponds to a particular bag.

You can also skip.

I know, it’s mad! You want eggs, right?! Why skip a chance to collect? It’s because your bags can break if they’re overloaded, and then you have less than you had before. Both fewer eggs and bags, though really it’s just the eggs you care about.

Have I mentioned this game is about eggs?

Skipping also means that there’s a greater chance your opponents’ bags will break. But you still need eggs to win. You can’t just skip.

And your opponents know this as well. They’re not dumb. Well, probably not. In either case, they want those eggs too.

And just when you thought you’ve mastered eggs, in comes Amber. The stone, not a person. Although maybe you’re playing with an Amber and they walk in as well.

You only get Amber if you’re the only one to skip that round. But others can just block each other by skipping as well.

But then no one gets anything. And you’re out of your skip card. And are at risk of breaking your bags. And maybe if you don’t skip, the other two will mutually annihilate with skip cards and you’ll have your skip handy for the next draw. It’s so enticing. But if everyone thinks that, then you’re back to having no advantage.

And so it becomes a dance. Not a mechanical one. You’ll grok the rules and basic ideas within about five minutes, then you’re set for life. Beyond that, it’s figuring out what your opponents want. And what they want you to do. And figuring out if they’ve figured out that you know what they want you to do.

That last sentence may not have made logical sense, but emotionally speaking, you’re all following me. This is a double-think game, and it’s embarrassingly simple, yet deep as hell as you try to get into the minds of your opponents. Which is good.

There are others in this lineage. GOPS is likely the most influential predecessor of this style of game. What the Heck? (aka Raj) is also in the neighborhood.

It’s a great little conceit. The game is very soon not played in the cards but rather in the interplay between minds, in the bluffing and double-bluffing and second-guessing that comes with solid cardplay.

Those other games are good. And in the case of GOPS, you can play with a standard deck of cards, so it has that to recommend it over Eggs of Ostrich and others.

But it doesn’t have eggs. Which isn’t good. Because eggs are good. You like eggs. Everyone likes eggs. All is egg.

Egggggggggggsssssssssssssssss