Seaside Game Review

 This will be a short review, as befits a short game. But please don't take this to mean that Seaside is a bad game. The game is actually good, but it's short and sweet, and you can play it on a picnic table, on a beach towel, or even standing at a bar table.

The story goes that when Brian Burgoyne designed Seaside, he specifically wanted a game that could be played on the beach. This meant a game that was portable, durable, and most importantly, waterproof. This is how Seaside was born, a game in a small canvas bag with thick double-sided painted wooden discs.

GAME PROCESS

The gameplay is extremely simple, in fact the only thing to set up is to get the instructions out of the bag - you don't even need to read them, if you already know how to play, you just put it down.

During the game, each player reaches into the bag and pulls out one disc, determines which of the two sides they want to "play", and then does what the disc indicates (either places the disc in the middle of the playing area or in front of them - more on this at moment). Sometimes a player may be allowed to draw a second or third disc in a row, but eventually the bag goes to the next player who completes the same sequence.

When the bag is empty, players will add up all the discs in front of them and determine who has the highest stack, and that player is the winner. Seaside is one of those games that you can literally learn on the fly.

WHAT DISKS MEAN

 Of course, there's a bit more to the game, but it's always nice when the game mechanics are simple. But to collect disks, you need to know what each of them does.

 There are generally two types of disc faces: white bottom (which allows the player to hold the disc in front of them) and blue bottom (which requires the player to place the disc "sea", also known as the middle of the playing area). Discs with a blue bottom will also have a "play again" symbol, indicating that you can draw another tile from the bag, as you will throw it into the ocean.

 White bottom discs are available in one of 4 options: Sandpipers, Crab habitats, Beach and Waves.

 Waders allow you to collect all the isopod discs from the center of the table and stack them. But for the rest of the game, you can only collect Wader stacks of the same height.

 When you have two crab habitats, you can collect all crab discs from the center of the table, as well as one from each of your opponents who has a crab.

 Beach Discs allow you to collect shells from the center of the table, one for each beach in front of you.

 Finally, the player with the most Wave Discs at the end of the game can collect all remaining discs from the ocean, a powerful late-game option.

EXPERIENCE FROM THE GAME

 Seaside is the perfect way to start or end a game night, or teach someone who doesn't really like board games, or play with younger family members, or if you just want something that won't tax your brain.

 There's something magical about reaching into a bag without knowing what you're going to get. Maybe there are 4 crabs in the middle of the table, you already have 1 crab habitat, and you're hoping to get a second one. Or maybe there are lots of isopods and you're just hoping for a wader. Or maybe it's almost game over and Shelley has more Wave discs than you and you're hoping to even the odds. Since you never know what you're going to get, you can help Miranda by pulling the exact tile she needs. Or maybe you get exactly what you want, but then the next player gets what they want too.

 So if you're looking for a casual game to pass the time, give Seaside a try. You can even pretend you're at the beach.