Schlacht am Buffet (Battle at the Buffet)

Buffet Battle is a game that's easier to play than enjoying the fare that this animal board game is about. There are six different delicacies: cheese, salami, sausage and other delicacies that make every mouse's heart beat faster. There's a lot to munch on, as each of the foods range in value from -1 to +5. Players take on the role of cheeky mice to scavenge the loot and snag the most valuable food for themselves.

The delicacies are mixed, drawn at random and laid out according to value. However, there is always one court less than there are players. Round by round, the delicious dishes are distributed by bidding with the appropriate hand cards. After revealing the bids, the players advance with their pieces according to the card values previously bid. The player who is last after moving the pieces must take the dish with the lowest value and is also eliminated from the current round. The remaining players repeat the whole procedure until finally there are only two mice left. The mouse that comes first at the end gets the tastiest and most valuable dish, the second-placed mouse can't get rid of its growling stomach,

Now it's on to the next round. Everyone can join in again, new delicacies, draw cards, and the procedure is the same as before. However, the newly acquired delicacies must always be stacked on top of the existing ones of the same kind. So it can happen that a previously captured +5 sausage is covered by a -1 sausage in the new round. This is all the more annoying because in the end only the top values of each type count, and the mouse with the most points at the end wins. It is therefore extremely important to get hold of something from all the dishes and to always have a high value at the top in the end.

All game material in Battle at the Buffet is presented in the typical style of illustrator Uli Stein. The game plan, the cards and even the good game instructions are magnificent to look at. However, the beautifully modeled mouse figures made of plastic deserve a special mention, you rarely find such a highlight in a game. For this alone, one or the other Uli Stein fan will take the game box off the shelves.

The actual game is nothing special, a casual, easy bidding game. The game mechanism works best with four or more players and is the most fun that way. Even if a lot depends on the luck of the cards, one or the other tactical consideration is also included. What is better? Being first, second or even last?? Hopefully the valuable dish will stay on top for the final scoring until the end. What are the opposing players doing? It's fun to weigh up the imponderables, and every now and then, even as a little mouse, you're not immune to glee.

This is a German item and contains no English rules unless specified.