Fill in the blank: [BLANK]-and-write. Hopefully, readers will have guessed that the blank is meant for any suitably random or choice-driven mechanism. Roll and write immediately comes to mind. Flip-and-write could be an answer. Even spin-and-write is a possibility. For our next game, the word is “draft”. Players will be selecting a card from a hand of cards, passing the hand, and then the end of the round brings the writing.
As far as this reviewer can tell, Boomerang (the pictures show Boomerang: Europe) is the first game to feature this combo mechanism. It’s a light travel-themed game of drafting and set collection from well-known and prolific designer Scott Almes. Even though the box says 2-4 players, it’s ideal to have 3 or 4 players instead of just 2 due to the drafting.
Gameplay Overview:
The game has a straightforward concept, but there is a twist to gameplay which makes for an interesting choice. A standard round features players receiving a hand of 7 cards. The twist is that players select a “throw” card from their initial deal and place it face down. This card scores just like others described later, but it also scores bonus points depending on your “catch” card which is the last card in hand in the round. Players will score points based on the numerical value difference between their throw and catch.