U-Build Connect 4 game
by The Beast!
(Boardgame Beast HQ)
If you’ve played Connect Four — and there can’t be many kids who haven’t, at some stage of their lives — then you’ll know what to expect from the basic concept of this unusual Hasbro game.
However, the U-Build version is a radical departure which owes more to chance than the basic strategy of the original. That’s not to say it’s not enjoyable, but it is a different experience, for sure.
Assembling the game takes quite a while, because there are several dozen Lego-style pieces here. The cardboard template which holds the pieces is solid as a rock, and the plastic self-assembly bits are also well made.Once you’ve set up (allow 15 minutes for kids around 9yrs, and be prepared to help younger kids), you’re confronted by a slanting version of the original grid, with arm-like intrusions from the sides.
Drop a token into the top and it will bounce about off the intruding arms and finally settle into one of the slots.
The instructions are deliberately vague about how you handle gameplay. You can fiddle about with the arms before your turn, or rule that they should be left alone before each player inserts another token.
As usual, the winner is the person who makes a row of four of their color token first. And if you’re anything like our household, that means an instant rematch so Dad can’t win, because it’s not fair when Dad wins!
Pros and cons
+ Solid components; interesting twist to have to build the product yourself
+ Element of chance increases interest in younger players…
– …but will probably appeal less to older ones as a result.
– There is no creativity in the building aspect; it’s more like a chore
The verdict
The U-Build Connect 4 game is an obvious take on the Lego board game phenomenon, and while some kids will need help putting the game together, they will enjoy it when it’s built.
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