Ghost Blitz 2.0

Ghost Blitz 2 Reviewed by Todd Barker on June 18th: Ghost Blitz 2 is a dexterity and shape recognition card game for 2-8 players ages 8 and up. In my review I will explain why it is not just a kids game and show Ghost Blitz 2 is played

Being a fan of the original Ghost Blitz it was only a matter of time before I added the second to my collection, why bother you might ask. Well the answer is quite simple, with 5 new pieces and another deck of cards you can add both games together to support more players or if you simply want a more challenging game. Of course Ghost Blitz 2 can also be played on its own and is just as exciting as the classic Ghost Blitz.

How to Play:
The rules are the same as in the original Ghost Blitz, for anyone unfamiliar I will cover the basics. I will explain the variant with both games and who I think should pick up a copy of Ghost Blitz 2.

Objective:
Every turn a card is flipped face up, the person to grab the correct corresponding game piece scores the card. Once the deck has ran out, the player with the most cards will be declared the winner.

Setup:
Place the 5 pieces (Girl Ghost, Bath Tub, Frog, Brush and a Bath Mat) in the center of the table within arms reach of everyone. Shuffle all the cards and place them in a pile near the 5 playing pieces.


Playing the Game:
During a player's turn they will flip over a card from the deck, all players now race to recognize and physically grab the correct piece. Recognizing the correct piece is easy..or is it.

Each card depicts two objects, and each card will fall into one of two categories or situations. Which category the card belongs to will determine which piece you pick up but the end result will always be racing to pick up a game piece.


Situation A:
An object on the card is the same colour as its corresponding game piece. You must grab the matching piece before your opponents.

Situation B:
All objects on the card are miscoloured. You must now grab the game piece that is unrepresented on the card both in shape and colour.

Scoring Points and Game End:
Every time you correctly grab a piece that corresponds with the newly revealed card you 'take' the card into your own pile. Once the deck runs out the player with the most cards in their pile is the winner.

Combining the Games:

Set Up: 
Set up the pieces from Ghost Blitz 1 in the regular circle, this will form the Castle Cellar.

Set up the pieces from Ghost Blitz 2 in a second circle, this will form the Castle Bathroom.

Take half of the cards from Ghost Blitz 1 and shuffle them together with half of the cards from Ghost Blitz 2 to form 1 deck the same size as a regular Ghost Blitz deck.

Playing:
Flip over a card, if it shows pieces from Ghost Blitz 1, you play in the Cellar and if it shows pieces from 2, you play inside the Bathroom. This adds another layer of recognition, you have to first see what room the card takes place in and then grab the appropriate piece. Scoring is done the same as in both regular games, grabbing the right piece gives you the card to count as a point but grabbing the wrong card forces you to give away one of your previously won cards.

Additional Rules / Variants In Ghost Blitz 2:
Each one of these rules can be added on its own or in combination with the other rules to mix you up even more and really put your memory and recognition skills to the test.

Talking Frog: When a card with the frog is turned face up players do not race to grab the correct item but simply shout it out instead.

The Frog Speaks Two Languages!: When the card showing the frog also shows any item (including the frog) in its correct colour, you must shout that item's name in another language.

What Did the Towel Dry Off?: When a towel is revealed, you look for the item that is the colour the towel shows and grab it. If the towel green you shout frog instead of grabbing it.

Who would enjoy Ghost Blitz 2?

Family Gamers: The most obvious benefit of the Ghost Blitz games to me is that kids can play without needing adult help, even better adults can join in and not have to handicap themselves in anyway. Playing Ghost Blitz definitely gets your brain going and encourages quick thinking, and as if you needed another plus, Ghost Blitz 2 is language neutral just like the original game. Ghost Blitz 2 also gives you a ton of different variants and extra rules to try that will give you lots of control over the difficulty of the game and keep that fresh feeling that will leave everyone wanting to play again.

Casual Gamers: Ghost Blitz makes a great filler, warm up, in between or wind down game, its also great with beer. The dexterity mechanics and easy to learn rules make it super easy and enjoyable to teach to anyone regardless if they have any experience with boardgames or not. Where Ghost Blitz 2 really shines is combining it with the original game you can now support more players and more laughs. Casual Gamers will enjoy some of the extra rules and will find they make the social atmosphere very enjoyable, Ghost Blitz 2 is a great game to show non gamers.

Gamer Gamers: Great to show your non gamer friends, also great to bring to family gatherings. Even serious gamers will find it challenging to throw all the extra rules in and you will find yourself getting mixed up more than you would have thought. Great game for your collection because you can scale the difficulty depending on who you are playing with.