Wallace & Gromit's cracking new board game, Fleeced!, has now hit the shops in time for Christmas! Want to know what it's like? Forum member and superfan Seb reveals all....
"Well here it is, I finally have a copy of Fleeced in my hands after waiting for over a year due to product delays in China! Upon opening you are greeted by the instructions booklet. With most board games this is the first item you find, and it’s usually a rather boring affair with the rules set out in a very unfriendly, uninviting way, but this is no ordinary game.
Indeed this game is the brainchild of Mr Nick Park himself so, like his films, you can expect something a little different! In this case, it’s the design of the instruction booklet. Presented as a newspaper you read about the problems that the citizens of West Wallaby Street are encountering as sheep run amok among the area – staking out in different buildings.
It’s a good job the instruction booklet is appealing, as otherwise it could be a real turn-off. You need everyone who plays the game to listen to everything in the leaflet carefully as there are a lot of rules which seem unfamiliar at first – a game like this having never been released before. After reading the instructions you should have a fairly good idea of what to do, but keep them at hand because for at least the first few games as you’re going to need to keep referring to them!
For a test-run of the game I got everyone in the family involved – my younger sister, myself (teenager), my parents, and even my mid-eighties Grandmother! I’m pleased to say that we all found it easy to understand (at least, once we had the hang of it!) and everyone was in agreement that it’s a sure hit and a game that will see a lot of use over the Christmas period and beyond.
The game takes a little while to get going, as there’s not much to do until you get sheep onto the board, but after ten to fifteen minutes it all gets going and you’re ready to rustle! From then on a game can go on for as long as you want it to. They can last for hours, but if you bend the rules a little and remove a sheep hideout from the board the game can speed up radically.
Sheep can be taken from either the village green, or you can steel them from other players before you take them back to your ‘base’ where they are safe (obviously I won’t go into exactly how you do that here – it’s a lot more fun for you to discover yourself!)
These are, however, the biggest drawbacks that we found, and really all it means is that you have to concentrate, which is never a downside as it means your mind won’t wander!
Overall the attention to detail far outweighs any real faults. From the rules created to assist parents with energetic children (no blowing of the whistles unless the rules specify you must – otherwise you must forfeit a sheep!), to the detail of the board. Wallace and Gromit fans will have a lot of fun looking at the clever artwork – one example being the ‘Drop Off With Snoozy Choc’ poster from ‘The Wrong Trousers’. The figures you use to play are also so wonderful you just want to remove them from the box and display them!
The big twists that can change the whole course of a game are also welcome – the best being any sneaky production of an ‘anti-rustle card’ that will stop evil doers in their paths (caught me out twice!)
Overall then, is this an essential purchase or not? Simply put – yes.
This is so original, and has to be one of the most fun games ever produced. Both Wallace and Gromit hardcore fans and newbies will enjoy this game for hours and hours, no matter what age you are. Nick Park has again created something so simple and yet so fantastic that it goes to show just how much of a genius he truly is.
One final thing to take into account if you buy the game: The instructions don’t say this, but once you use a ‘sheep hideout card’ keep it somewhere other than the envelope, i.e. don’t pick it again later. It seems they are specifically designed for one use and the game won’t work otherwise. This won’t make sense if you haven’t played the game – but, if you do buy it, bear it in mind!"
A big thank you to Seb for his great review of this game! You can check out more W&G film, game and comic reviews on Seb's fan site by clicking here. Want to write a review of this game? Feel free to post your comments below!
Click here to get more product information, or to order your copy online from Corgi!
Already bought Fleeced! but having problems with the whistles? Follow this link for advice: http://www.wallaceandgromit.com/forum/read/2336/1/