The boom of roll-and-writes has begun an interesting trend in board gaming: certain board games have acquired a roll-and-write sibling. These are the same games, but their mechanics are reimagined with the use of dice, pencil and paper. Think Catan and Catan the Dice Game, or Patchwork and Patchwork Doodle. Animal Kingdoms, a family-oriented area-control game has also recently acquired a roll-and-write counterpart, Roar and Write!, although perhaps this game is more like a distant cousin than a sibling.

Roar and Write! takes place in the same universe of Animal Kingdoms, retaining the same gorgeous aesthetic as its predecessor. However, unlike Animal Kingdoms where players would compete for dominance of a certain area, Roar and Write! is mostly a solitary experience. Each round the dice are rolled and players select certain results to mark on their individual sheets. They may want to appease animal council members, which want specific number combinations. Or players can add numbers to the kingdoms, although these come with their own set of rules. Each player will also have a personal goal that will give them bonus points at the end of the game.

There is a certain amount of flexibility and push-your-luck within the game as players roll three sets of dice and decide which number to record each time. If the luck was not on their side the first roll, then perhaps the second will be better. Even if it’s not, there is always a way to record numbers so that they earn rewards during scoring.

Although the rules of Roar and Write! are initially hard to grasp, the game really benefits from its brain-scratchy elements. A lot still hinges on chance and luck – that’s the nature of aprimarily dice rolling game after all! However, decision making plays a big part in the swing of the total scores making players feel that no matter what dice decide, they still have agency within the game.

ALEXANDRA SONECHKINA

PLAY IT? YES

Pick up your copy here

Designer: Carla Kopp

Publisher: Galactic Raptor Games

Time: 15-20 minutes

Players: 1-99

Ages: 8+

Price: £19

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