I have a new favorite two-player game, you guys. It’s called Patchwork and I almost didn’t buy it because- truth be told- I thought a quilting game sounded kind of boring.
But, I know not to judge a book, or a game, by its cover and I am so glad I added this one to my game collection.
Here’s the backstory…
Lately, my husband and I have been making a concerted effort to go on more date nights. We are both early birds, so we don’t stay out late. Mostly we just out to dinner, missing out on putting the kids to bed. (It’s amazing how missing a night of bedtime shenanigans can make you feel like a new person, isn’t it?)
When we come home, we grab a game and a glass of wine. We enjoy uninterrupted conversation and gameplay. It’s a wonderful new tradition!
Patchwork: My New Favorite 2-Player GameÂ
This post is part of my Growing List of My Little Poppies Game Reviews. Slowly but surely, I am making my way through our game closet and sharing our thoughts. Stay tuned for more posts in this series!
Patchwork is a simple 2-player game that is super addicting!
I’d love to tell you that my husband and I have played dozens of games over the past several months of date nights, but the reality is, we usually play Patchwork.
(We are addicted!)
The scoop on Patchwork:
Patchwork is a 2-player strategy game that can be played in under 30 minutes.
What’s included:
- 1 neutral token
- two player tokens (one is lime green, one is yellow)
- 5 “special” leather patches
- 2 quilt boards
- 1 central, double-sided, time board
- 33 fabric patches
- 1 special “7×7” tile
- 32 “1 button” tiles
- 12 “5 buttons” tiles
- 5 “10 buttons” tiles
- 1 “20 buttons” tile
Game setup:
- Each player selects a quilt board, a time token (lime green or yell0w), 5 buttons (buttons are used as currency in this game).
- Place the central time board in the middle of the table. This time board is double-sided so you can choose the side you like the best.
- Place your time tokens on the starting space of the time board.
- Arrange the fabric patches in a circle around the time board in random order.
- Locate the smallest patch (1×2) and place the neutral token between this patch and the one next to it (in clockwise order).
- Place the special leather patches on the appropriately marked spaces on the time board.
- Keep button currency and special 7×7 tile nearby.
How to play Patchwork
The player who last used a needle begins the game. Patchwork is unique because gameplay does not necessarily alternate between turns. The player whose time token is the furthest behind on the time board goes next. On some occasions, this may mean that one player takes multiple turns before the next player can take his or her turn.
On each turn, players may perform one of the following actions:
- advance and receive buttons (the currency of the game), or
- take and place a patch
When a player chooses to advance and receive buttons, that player moves his or her time token on the time board so that it occupies the space directly in front of the other player’s time token. The player then receives one button per space moved.
If a player chooses to take and place a patch, the player must carry out the following steps, in order:
- Choose a patch. The player can only choose from the three patches in front of the neutral token.
- Advance the neutral token next to the selected patch.
- Pay for the patch, in button currency.
- Place the patch on his or her quilt board.
- Move the appropriate time token on the time board.
Some spaces on the time board result in players receiving special leather patches, while other spaces result in button income. Income is determined by the number of buttons on your quilt board.
The first player to completely fill a 7×7 square on his or her quilt board receives the special 7×7 tile. This time is worth 7 points at the end of the game.
The game ends when both time tokens reach the last space on the time board.
Scoring:
The player with the highest score wins. Add up the number of buttons you have left, adding the value of the special tile if available. From this score, subtract 2 points for every empty quilt board space remaining.
Why I love Patchwork
Patchwork is one of those games that seems, on the surface, to be simple. You can explain it in minutes, and it doesn’t take long to set-up or to play.
That said, the game offers a lot of depth. There is quite a bit of strategy and planning involved. No two games are the same, so it has great re-play value.
If you loved Tetris as a kid, or if you are a fan of Blokus right now, you’ll probably love Patchwork.
Do you love games and gameschooling?
Be sure to check out these related posts:
- Growing List of My Little Poppies Game Reviews
- Ultimate Gamelist: A Free Library of Gameschool Resources
- Gameschool Challenge: Add More Play To Your Day!
- Ultimate Guide to Family Games
- 100 Picture Books and Games for Play-Based Learning
- 10 Tips for a Successful Family Game Night
- Top Educational One-Player Games
- 10+ Amazing Math Games for Your Homeschool
- 10+ Science Games for Your Homeschool
Do you want to see our gameschool in action?
Be sure to follow My Little Poppies because we share snapshots of gameschooling moments… and heaps of incredible books!
You are also invited to join the My Little Poppies Gameschool Community, a private Facebook Group for parents who wish to add more play to their family and/or homeschool routine.
