Stowaway 52 (Gamewright)

It's a rainy, miserable day where I live. I'd rather be home playing games, but instead I am at work. Given the weather today, work will be slow, so I have smuggled a tiny game to work. This is very appropriate given the name of the game - Stowaway 52. Stowaway 52 is the first game in Gamewright's Cardventure series with the second one being called Jump Ship! It is a game 1+ player, age 8+. It take approximately 15 minutes to play and retails for approximately $12. In this game,  you have snuck aboard an alien ship that is trying to attack earth. Only you can stop this deadly assault. You must make careful decisions, because failure is lurking around every corner. Will you succeed or is all of humanity doomed?

Setup
1. Separate the cards into four face-up piles, according to card color.
2. Choose a pile. Pick any card within the pile to start your adventure.
3. Put this card in front of you to start your story pile.

Game Play
1.Read the card on the top of your story pile.
2. Read the two options at the bottom of the card and pick one.
3. Find the card related to the option that you chose. (Note: You can find it by color and number.)
4. This new card goes on top of your story pile, unless it is an item card. Then, it goes in a different pile.
5. The game ends when you select an option that leads to a card you already have in your story pile. Add up the points on your cards and find the ending that corresponds to your total. (Note: All endings are bad unless you get a score of 300.)

Review
Gamewright is big on producing games that tell stories. This was true with Rory's Story Cubes and holds true with Cardventures as well. This game is essentially the equivalent of a Choose Your Own Adventure book, only its medium is a deck of cards instead of a book. With each action you take, you grow one step closer to victory and also one step closer to defeat. This game is really great for kids as it encourages creativity and critical thinking. Which decision will best help you succeed? Which will lead you to an early demise? The packing with this game is simple, yet elegant, as it has a smaller box sliding out of a sturdy sleeve, kind of like a book. The cards are of high quality and large in size and font. My son is only four years old, so he needs some help playing this game, but he loves it nonetheless, when I read him the story and he gets to make decisions on his own.

This game was provided to me for free by Gamewright in exchange for an honest review.