The card game Take-out Bunnies gnawed at me. It is a card game featuring an “edgy” rabbit family who each have a mission to collect a certain amount of family members plus a unique carrot. Players can thwart each other by playing action cards and try to get the unique carrot to complete their mission.
The card game has a somewhat nsfw and at times tacky theme. Daddy rabbit likes to wear women’s clothes, mommy rabbit is a kleptomaniac, grandma likes rocket launchers, the son clubs other rodents, and aunty rabbit is a pole dancer.
These eccentric rabbits are trying to collect a certain combination of rabbit cards and a unique carrot card. Because you want to win and get that one carrot, the game wants you to sabotage, frustrate and rob your opponents using your action cards. These action cards are not particularly special and are reminiscent of many other card games where players try to bully each other. You have to discard, trade and steal cards. Building up your rabbit family can therefore be frustrating. In addition, you are not allowed to bully when players have few cards in hand, which reduces the bullying. Also, when more players have to collect the same unique carrot, it’s a back and forth of bullying cards. With more players there is less frustrating interaction in the game, but with two players the game has less options.
Unfortunately, the gameplay is not very uninteresting for experienced players and gave me the idea that the game was made primarily with the theme (and lovers of said theme) in mind – and the gameplay not so much. The game is rather simple. This card game missed it’s opportunity to have edgy gameplay linked to its theme. As far as I am concerned, these rabbits may hop and skip back into the woods!
A game that is less NSFW and that offers more pleasant memories to me, is the children’s game White Rabbit by Ravensburger. Should you find this gem on eBay or wherever, you hereby receive my seal of approval. Great game to play with your kids or siblings! In this game, you collect a family of hares. But when you draw the White Rabbit, anything can happen! When you draw this cheeky animal, you may add a family member to your family of hares at the expense of another player. The ever-robust White Rabbit then dives back into the pile, looking for the next good deed. White Rabbit is one hell of a nostalgia trip for me personally, and reminds me of my childhood – back when I played this game with my parents and my little brother and sisters, just before I had to go to bed early. A suitable game and ideal for strengthening family ties. This rabbit may always be a part of my family. 🙂
