Wolfwalkers is a 2020 Irish animated film filled with fantasy and adventure. Wolfwalkers is directed by Tomm Moore and is the third and final installment in Moore’s “Irish Folklore Trilogy” which also includes his earlier films The Secret of Kells (2009) and Song of the Sea (2014). These Oscar-nominated films are known for their Irish and Celtic influences and beautiful art and animation style inspired by classic woodblock print art. Value Add Games from Slovenia has released two Wolfwalkers games. In Wolfwalkers: My Story, two players will “write” a story with cards to collect the most points. Will you live happily ever after or will your story have a tragic ending?
Wolfwalkers: My Story is a two-player game where both players will collect a grid of cards to create a story. The cards are double-sided. On one side has an x-number of symbols and an image (containing the beautiful artwork from the film). On the back of each card a goal is depicted and thus a way to collect points. Four cards are placed on the table with the picture side up and two cards with the goal side faced up. In turn, each player picks one card to add to his or her grid and then the cards are replenished. An image is replenished with a new card with the image side face up and the same applies to goal cards.
After a player takes a card, that player must add the card to that player’s grid. If you take an image, this side must be placed face up and if you take a goal, obviously the goal side must be placed face up on the grid. Players have a grid of up to 5 by 5 cards. Once both players have filled the grid, the game is over and points will be calculated. The first card of the grid may be placed anywhere, but subsequent cards must be placed adjacent to previously placed cards.
Players earn points with their goal cards, but need symbols of images to do so. For example, these target cards contain patterns with different symbols that are also depicted on the images. By placing these patterns on your grid, you earn points. You can also earn points by placing certain symbols in the same row or column as the specific target card or by not allowing certain symbols to appear. In this way, each player builds their own story and earns points in their own way.
Wolfwalkers is an enormously relaxing, yet challenging puzzle. A turn (taking a card) is simple, but it is a difficult choice which card to take. Do you take an image in order to collect symbols or do you secure certain goal cards hoping to collect points in multiple different ways? Players are limited by their grid in a positive way and therefore must plan well. This challenge is satisfying enough when the point mechanism is set in motion by your puzzle urge and actually yields enough points. The box also contains parts for advanced variants of the game which ensures the wonderful Wolfwalkers: My Story contains long-lasting fun.
