dylan coyle

Red Panda Surprise is live on backerkit now! Cute quick clever card game for 1-7 players!

Life is stressful but these lil meeples remind us to enjoy our hobbies and the simple things in life. Use Up All Your Sick Days is more than a game, it's a lifestyle. Don't let 2026 whizz by! 💜💜💜

Capybara Crush is LIVE on kickstarter now!

🐼✨ RED PANDA SURPRISE ✨🐼 Designer: Dylan Cole Artwork: Dylan Cole Publisher: @charming.games Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a huge fan of Dylan Cole’s work. One day, I randomly stumbled across Capybara Crush with no idea what it was about other than that it was adorable. Not long after, I fell in love with its simple teach, ease of play, and strategic planning. Since then, diving into Dylan’s back catalogue of indie board games, I have been impressed every time. Red Panda Surprise does not disappoint. A seemingly simple card-shedding game that is quick to teach and easy to pick up, yet much harder to master. Your aim is simply to be the first player to get rid of all your cards. Players play two cards at a time, with the highest sum winning the round. Red Panda Surprise uses an interesting mechanic whereby the lowest sum receives a +10 bonus, meaning low cards can suddenly win the round. It creates a fun layer of strategy, bluffing, and guessing and sits in that space of lightweight strategy where new players can jump straight in, whilst more experienced players can still enjoy the game. As with all our reviews, we did our best to play this with as many different people as possible. This time around it was mainly us and my dad, who is 70+, and he, like us, absolutely loved it. This post is here to introduce all the pandas in the game. Each panda represents a different type of surprise, and we’ve given them names to help match that. The artwork is done by Dylan himself, meaning he both designed and illustrated the game. His work made it a lot of fun putting this together on the plane trip home from overseas. Much better than watching movies and falling asleep! Red Panda Surprise is available now on BackerKit and comes with beautiful golden edging on the cards. If you’re a fan of fun, adorable, beginner-friendly family card games with lightweight strategy, then Red Panda Surprise may just be the surprise your next game night needs. #boardgames #boardgamegeek #boardgamesofinstagram #cardgames #indieboardgames

Otter has been left out on the table waiting for more players, so since it is Sunday once more, I again played the solo mode a couple of times #sundaymorningsolo created by @favouritefoe Age 8+ ▶️ 15 - 30 mins playing time 1 - 4 player #bgg Complexity rating - 1.75 Hand management, variable setup The object is to get rid of all your cards which had been dealt out into four decks. There is one catch, you cannot play a card onto the otter you played onto last turn, nor can you take a card from the deck you just used. This is simple to play with the dilemma of is better to play onto a particular tummy not knowing what will be revealed when you've taken that card. The leftmost card was a simple Higher/Lower for the numbered card.Then Near/Far which requires numbers to either be within two of the card in play or to be three or more of that card. The rightmost card was Shallow/Deep which meant that the total on all three otter's tummies was either less than or greater than twenty. The rules can be flipped at any time by placing one of four lucky stones (alternatively they can be used to swap one of the heads with the two reserve heads. The first game I got to the last five cards spread over three piles having used all four lucky stones so that was that, whilst in the second game I hardly got very far before crashing out. This was a total contrast to the solo game from last week where it was relatively easy. Guess that means I just have to play again. *The copy of the game was gifted by the publisher @charming.games to me via the group #ukbgreviewcircle for the purposes of the review. We were not paid for the review and the opinions are our own unbiased ones.* #handmanagementgames #meeplesathome

This week's #firstimpressionsfriday🎲 , which is organised by @nerdygirlgaming and the next review game pick was Otter. This is otterly brilliant, if you want to teach younger players some numeracy skills. Plus it is visually appealing so this will entice them to play. However it is still a fun game in any case and does well as a simple starter. Age 8+ ▶️ 15 - 30 mins playing time 1 - 4 player #bgg Complexity rating - 1.75 Hand management, variable setup The game is a card shedding game where you play cards based on the various rules which determine which numbered card can be played onto that otter's tummy. There are five otter heads to choose from, and which have a numerical rule on either side. Whilst the three tails have one of the six suits on either side. Playing a card to an otter must match the rule on the head card or the suit on the tail card. If you can match both then you can play onto the same otter again. Thus you can play consecutive cards on the same otter. If you only fulfill the rule or the suit, then you only play one card. On your turn you can choose to draw between zero and three cards and for each card you draw you flip a head or a tail or you can swap the position of two heads or two tails prior to playing any cards. So if you have a number of cards in the same suit you might be able to play all your cards out. This was a lot of fun even at two players and when we played it was a very tense match with it going to two all before the final round which my wife managed to chain six cards together and so won overall. If you are going to UKGE, Charming Games can be found on stand 2-364 and will have Otter, Capybara Crush, Doom Cat and Park Life as well as some upcoming games such as Red Panda Surprise. *The copy of the game was gifted by the publisher @charming.games to me via the group #ukbgreviewcircle for the purposes of the review. We were not paid for the review and the opinions are our own unbiased ones.* #handmanagementgames #meeplesathome

If, like me, you enjoy nothing more than lazing around while other people bring you your fav food you'll be able to relate to the titular characters in Otter, a card-shedding game by @charming.games In Otter there are 3 otters lazing around wanting you to place cards on their hungry bellies. But the otters are picky & won't take any old cards, there are rules. The otters heads denote a pattern you must follow, lower card than the previous one for example. The tail will dictate the suit - fish, crab, etc. If the card you play passes both these rules you can play another on the same otter until you match only 1 of the rules. This means you can combo lots of cards one after another, and might want to hold onto cards until you can play most of your hand in one go. You'll always be able to play cards on your turn, but you may have to pay for it. You can flip over an otter's head or tail, or swap them around but you'll have to draw cards for each change you want to make. So you can change the rules to suit your hand but risk picking up a card that you could be holding on to for longer than you want. You'll play several rounds & cards you don't play are kept between rounds, so if you've got a big combo brewing you'll be in pole position next time. 👇 F I R S T   I M P R E S S I O N S 👇 🌖 Rules are simple & easy to understand and set-up is quick 🌖 Sometimes you're at the mercy of an unlucky card draw, games aren't that long, so if you don't manage to execute your plan, it's likely another player will - especially at low player counts 🌖 With more players everyone's plans get disrupted equally, making for better games that last longer & allow you to build up those combos 🌖 The illustrations are adorable & it's accessible to kids Otter is a charming game that benefits from more players. It's a fun filler game that everyone can enjoy, that swings wildly, but feels satisfying when you manage to lay down most of your hand in one turn. Otter was #gifted to us by @charming.games via @ukbg_review_circle all thoughts are our own. You can buy it as part of their Red Panda Surprise campaign live on Backerkit. #firstimpressionsfriday🎲 is run by @nerdygirlgaming

In the first of two giveaways this week I am teaming up with @charming.games (who made one of my favourite family card games of recent years ‘Otter’) to offer one follow the chance to win a copy of the brand new game ‘Red Panda Suprise’ It’s currently live on Backerkit (see comments for link) Red Panda Surprise is a fast pace game inspired by Pai Gow, trick taking, and shedding games for 1-7 players. Each round, players want to have the highest sum of two cards to discard them, and you want to discard through your deck to win. To enter - 1) Follow this account and @charming.games 2) Comment and let us know your favourite game with a colour in the title Entries close at 6pm BST on 28th May Good luck! #competition #win #giveaway #contest

Ready for something as adorable as it is chaotic? Think of a card game where you’re watching who’s playing high. Who’s intentionally staying low. Who’s saving cards. Who’s about to ruin your plans with a swap at the worst possible moment, or use one of those special cards to completely change the equation. And somehow, all this unfolds through adorable little red pandas! Dylan really has a knack for making approachable games that slowly reveal more bite underneath the cutest possible themes. Red Panda Surprise is definitely worth checking out if you enjoy quick social card games with lots of reactions and mind games. Folks, back the game on BackerKit if it's your type! #printandplay #cardgames #indiegame #boardgamegeek #pocketopia

#ad ***𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙂𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 - 𝙍𝙚𝙙 𝙋𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖 𝙎𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙂𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮!*** I'm excited to host a surprise worldwide giveaway for the upcoming release from @charming.games - Red Panda Surprise - a cosy and clever card game for 1 to 7 players that plays in 5 to 20 minutes. It will be available on backerkit soon and one lucky follower can win it! To enter, simply ✨️ Follow this account and @charming.games ✨️ Like this post Plus one, or more of the following ✨️ Tag someone in the comments (get an additional entry for every new tag) ✨️ Repost for 10 extra entries (please DM me to let me know especially if you're using a private account) ✨️ Share to stories and tag me for 10 extra entries ✨️ Subscribe to Dylan Coyle's Youtube channel for 10 additional entries (send me a screenshot) ✨️ Subscribe to my Youtube channel for 15 additional entries (send me a screenshot) Good luck! This is one of my most anticipated games for this year and I'm always excited for any additions to the @charming.games range - in my opinion, these are some of the best cosy card games on the market right now. This giveaway closes on the 29th May and the winner will be announced in my stories. [Disclaimer: We are not responsible for any damaged or lost packages. Winner might have to pay any local fees. This giveaway is not affiliated with Meta]

Sunday morning and playing the game Otter which has a solo mode as #sundaymorningsolo created by @favouritefoe An ideal game to play at the start of the morning prior to the rest of the day's activities. Age 8+ ▶️ 15 - 30 mins playing time 1 - 4 player #bgg Complexity rating - 1.75 Hand management, variable setup The game is a card shedding game where you play cards based on the various rules which determine which numbered card can be played onto that otter's tummy. The solo mode plays differently slightly to the regular mode, for a start there aren't any otter tails in play, just the heads. There are five of these to choose from, and which have a rule on either side. A random pick gave Near/Far which requires numbers to either be within two of the card in play or to be three or more of that card. The middle card was Shallow/Deep which meant that the total on all three otter's tummies was either less than or greater than twenty. The final rule was a simple Odd/Even for the numbered card. The rules can be flipped at any time by placing one of four lucky stones (alternatively they can be used to swap one of the heads with the two reserve heads. The object is to get rid of all your cards which had been dealt out into four decks. There is one catch, you cannot play a card onto the otter you played onto last turn, not can you take a card from the deck you just used. This was a nice fun game to start off the morning. I had previously heard from others how much they had enjoyed playing these (although not so many mentions that they had played the solo version), so I had been looking forward to trying it for myself. I was not disappointed. Although it will be later in the week before I try the multiplayer version, I think that this has already become my most favourite of the games by Dylan Coyle. Now I think I have just enough time to play again before anyone else is up and about. *The copy of the game was gifted by the publisher @charming.games to me via the group #ukbgreviewcircle for the purposes of the review. We were not paid for the review and the opinions are our own unbiased ones.* #handmanagementgames #meeplesathome

Now, otters might not be your first thought when asked to think of 'animals with shells', but whilst they don't have a shell in the same way as a snail or tortoises, sea otters are often found with shells. Why? Because they love nothing more than a dinner of mollusks and crustaceans. And one of my favourite otter facts is that they often have a favourite rock (who doesn't 😄), which they like to use to smash open clams and crab shells. So, Otter by @charming.games is a perfect pick for this week's #SafariSaturday theme. Otter is an adorable, card-shedding game where you'll be feeding hungry otters with some of their favourite foods. Cards in your hand have various delicious morsels, like clams, crabs and fish. To play cards, you will need to follow certain placement rules. Otter heads denote number rules, otter tails denote the food rules, so whatever is already in their tummies will dictate what cards you can play next. And once you've managed to empty your hand, you collect a lucky stone. And these lucky stones are your route to victory! But the tricky part is that the placement rules are like the ocean waves and are constantly moving, both by you and your opponents. So it's an ever changing puzzle. The solo variant of this game also looks fun, and we're excited to try both soon and will be back to tell you more. - E Otter is available to buy during the Red Panda Surprise campaign, there latest game, which is live now on Backerkit. And you can also check out @charming.games at UKGE, booth 2-364. @charming.games kindly gifted us this 2nd edition version of their game via @ukbg_review_circle which now has updated components, but the same beautiful artwork and fun gameplay. They also have a host of other fun games you can check out on their page. #SafariSaturday is hosted by @nerdygirlgaming and @short.stuff.boardgames and today's theme was chosen by @ahboardgames #boardgamecollection #boardgamelovers