{"id":309009,"date":"2024-11-23T08:00:04","date_gmt":"2024-11-23T14:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/?post_type=reviews&#038;p=309009"},"modified":"2024-11-22T22:34:07","modified_gmt":"2024-11-23T04:34:07","slug":"pixies","status":"publish","type":"reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/pixies\/","title":{"rendered":"Pixies Game Review"},"content":{"rendered":"    <div class=\"amzn-ad amzn-enhanced-links-small\">\n        <div>\n            <div class=\"amzn-product\">\n                <span class=\"amzn-product-image-container\">\n                    <div class=\"amzn-product-image-holder\">\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"amzn-product-image lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/41popba42FL._SL300_.jpg\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"amzn-product-image\" src=\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/41popba42FL._SL300_.jpg\"><\/noscript>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/span>\n                <div class=\"amzn-product-title-container\">\n                    <a rel=\"sponsored\" class=\"amzn-product-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0DHWHSQHN?tag=meeplmount-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1\" target=\"_blank\">\n                        <span class=\"amzn-product-title-text\" title=\"Pandasaurus Games Pixies Card Game - Colorful Card Drafting Strategy Game, Quick & Fun Family Game for Kids & Adults, Ages 8+, 2-5 Players, 30 Minute Playtime, Made\">Pandasaurus Games Pixies Card Game - Colorful Card Drafting Strategy Game, Quick & Fun Family Game for Kids & Adults, Ages 8+, 2-5 Players, 30 Minute Playtime, Made<\/span>\n                    <\/a>\n                    <div class=\"amzn-product-price\">\n                        <span class=\"amzn-product-offer-price\">$14.95<\/span>\n                                                    <span class=\"amzn-sprite amzn-product-prime\"><\/span>\n                                            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"amzn-product-buy-now-link-box\">\n                    <a rel=\"sponsored\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0DHWHSQHN?tag=meeplmount-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"amzn-product-buy-now-link\">\n                        Buy Now\n                    <\/a>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n<p>Have you ever been walking through the woods, enjoying nature, when you hear a weird rustle in the leaves? Or perhaps it\u2019s a branch in the canopy above you making a sudden noise. Or maybe it\u2019s just a general feeling that something is there, just off the path, watching you from the underbrush. Whether its intentions are good or bad are entirely unknown. All you know is that you are not as alone as you thought you were.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-309003 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-wp-pid=\"309003\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 150w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2-300x300.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2.jpg?size=528x528&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2-600x600.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2-768x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2-990x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2-1024x1024.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2-1200x1200-cropped.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2-1320x1320.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2-1200x1200-cropped.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/1024;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-309003\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-wp-pid=\"309003\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 150w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2-300x300.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2.jpg?size=528x528&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2-600x600.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2-768x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2-990x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2-1024x1024.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2-1200x1200-cropped.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2-1320x1320.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-2-1200x1200-cropped.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><br \/>\nIf you\u2019ve ever had this experience before, chances are you were just mere feet away from a pixie. In the game of <i>Pixies<\/i>, players take on the roles of\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Well, who knows really? The story above is something I created out of whole cloth. Aside from the delightful images of weird little creatures created out of natural objects (think <a href=\"https:\/\/i.pinimg.com\/originals\/6f\/33\/54\/6f33548a5c62e9d89d0af8cb56347c5d.jpg\"><i>Little Big Planet<\/i><\/a> meets <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt15339456\/\"><i>Marcel the Shell With Shoes On<\/i><\/a> and you\u2019ll have an idea of the aesthetic), there\u2019s not a lot of theme or story to go around. At its heart, <i>Pixies<\/i> is a pure abstract. Albeit, it\u2019s an abstract with some ridiculously cute artwork.<\/p>\n<h2>Overview<\/h2>\n<p>In<i> Pixies<\/i>, the players will take turns drafting cards out of a lineup and then placing them into their tableaus following some simple rules. Once any one player has completely filled their tableau, the round comes to an end and scoring is performed. This score is recorded and another two rounds are performed in the same fashion. At the end of the third round, the players tally up their three scores and the person who has the highest total wins.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, this is a very high-level overview of the game. If you\u2019d like to get a better sense of how the game is played, read on. Otherwise, feel free to skip ahead to the Thoughts section to see what I think of the game.<\/p>\n<h2>How It\u2019s Played<\/h2>\n<p>At the beginning of a game round, all the cards are gathered, shuffled together, and placed into a facedown deck between the players. A number of cards equal to the player count are drawn and placed into a face-up row (except for 2-player games in which 4 cards are revealed). Beginning with the first player, players take turns drafting a card from the lineup until there are no cards left. Then, they play those cards into their tableaus.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-309004 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-setup-1024x541.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"541\" data-wp-pid=\"309004\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-setup-300x158.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-setup.jpg?size=528x279&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-setup-600x317.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-setup-768x406.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-setup-990x523.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-setup-1024x541.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-setup-1320x697.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-setup.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/541;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-309004\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-setup-1024x541.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"541\" data-wp-pid=\"309004\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-setup-300x158.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-setup.jpg?size=528x279&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-setup-600x317.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-setup-768x406.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-setup-990x523.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-setup-1024x541.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-setup-1320x697.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-setup.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>A tableau consists of a 3&#215;3 grid. Each spot in the grid is associated with a specific number: the top row is for numbers 1-3, the middle for numbers 4-6, and the bottom is for 7-9. When a player drafts a card, they play that card face-up into the empty spot matching the number printed on the card. Sometimes, though, there may already be a card played into that spot. In this case, the player will choose one of the two cards to place face-up and the other to place face-down beneath it. This face-up card with the one beneath it is considered to be \u2018<b>validated<\/b>\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>Now, it may happen that there are already two cards in a spot when a player drafts a third card containing the same number. If this occurs, the player must place this newly acquired card face-down into another empty spot. Then, if a card is drawn that could be placed into the spot that now contains a facedown card, the player has no choice but to play the newly drafted card face-up into that spot where it automatically becomes <b>validated<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p>To better explain that, consider this example. In turn one, Player A drafts a &#8216;2&#8217; card. This is placed face-up into the middle slot of the top row in the #2 position. In a later turn, the same player drafts a second &#8216;2&#8217; card. They opt to keep this new card as the face-up card, turn the existing card face-down, and place the new card atop it. Now, their &#8216;2&#8217; card is <b>validated<\/b>. In a later turn, they draft a third &#8216;2&#8217; card. Since their #2 position is already filled with a <b>validated<\/b> card, they must place the newly acquired &#8216;2&#8217; card face-down into another slot. They see that the #9 position is empty and opt to place the card face-down there. Later on, they draft a \u20189\u2019 card. Since there is already a face-down card in the #9 position, they place their newly acquired card face-up on top of it where it automatically becomes <b>validated<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p>After any player has filled in their ninth spot, a scoring is performed, the score recorded, the cards gathered up and reshuffled to form a new deck, and a new round begins. After three such rounds, the scores are tallied up to determine the winner.<\/p>\n<p>So, you might be wondering what goes into scoring? And, by default, what goes into choosing which cards to draft? Glad you asked.<\/p>\n<h2>How Scoring Works<\/h2>\n<p>There are a total of four scoring criteria: <b>spirals<\/b>, <b>crosses<\/b>, <b>validated<\/b> cards, and <b>color zones<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-309007 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-wp-pid=\"309007\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 150w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round-300x300.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round.jpg?size=528x528&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round-600x600.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round-768x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round-990x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round-1024x1024.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round-1200x1200-cropped.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round-1320x1320.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round-1200x1200-cropped.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/1024;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-309007\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-wp-pid=\"309007\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 150w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round-300x300.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round.jpg?size=528x528&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round-600x600.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round-768x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round-990x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round-1024x1024.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round-1200x1200-cropped.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round-1320x1320.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-end-of-round-1200x1200-cropped.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Some cards feature a number of <b>spirals<\/b> on them or a symbol that is equal to \u2018one <b>spiral<\/b> per every face-up card of a specific color in the tableau\u2019. These score accordingly.<\/p>\n<p>As an example, assume you have three yellow cards in your tableau as well as one wild card (these are considered to be all colors at all times). One of the yellow cards has 5 <b>spirals<\/b> printed on it and another yellow card has the symbol that means \u2018this card is equal to one <b>spiral<\/b> for every yellow card in your tableau\u2019. These two cards would collectively score you 9 points\u20145 from the <b>spiral<\/b> card and another 4 from the \u20181 <b>spiral<\/b> for every yellow card\u2019 card (3 yellow + 1 wild card). It\u2019s also worth noting that wild cards can be used to score multiple \u2018one <b>spiral<\/b> per every face-up card of a specific color in the tableau\u2019 cards. So, if you had a blue card that scored for every blue card with a spiral, the wild card would count for that one as well.<\/p>\n<p>Some cards have <b>crosses<\/b> printed on them. These score you 1 negative point per <b>cross<\/b>. As you can imagine, you\u2019ll typically want to avoid these.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve already spoken about how cards become <b>validated<\/b>. A <b>validated<\/b> card scores points equal to its face value. So, the \u20182\u2019 card in the earlier example would score two points and the \u20189\u2019 card would score an additional nine for a total of eleven points between them.<\/p>\n<p>A <b>color zone <\/b>consists of a string of cards of a matching color that touch each other. If the yellow cards in our previous example were located in the #1, #2, and #5 position with the wild card in the #4 position, then we would have a yellow <b>color zone<\/b> consisting of four cards. At the end of round 1, each card in your largest <b>color zone<\/b> is worth two points each. At the end of round 2, they are worth three points each. And, at the end of round 3, they are worth four points each.<\/p>\n<p>Face-down cards with nothing on top of them score nothing.<\/p>\n<h2>Thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>When I first ripped open the mailer this game was sent in and stared down at the tiny little package that lay nestled inside, I wasn\u2019t prepared for just how much I was going to like <i>Pixies<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>The box is small and unassuming, taking up less real estate than your standard cell phone. On the front cover is a little guy that appears to be created from an acorn fused together with a piece of a pinecone grinning at you with the shiny pebbles that serve as its eyes. In its arm, it holds a tiny pink flower. It\u2019s an image that welcomes you in. Its cheery warmth brings a slight smile to your face.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOpen this box,\u201d it says. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing to fear here.\u201d And, it isn\u2019t lying. The game inside consists of nothing but a deck of beautifully illustrated cards and a single, folded sheet that serves as a rule book. It\u2019s a game that only takes a few minutes to learn and teach, and the setup time is even faster. Small, portable, attractive, easy, and quick. Before you\u2019ve even started to play the game, <i>Pixies<\/i> has already got a lot going for it.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s in that gameplay where <i>Pixies<\/i> truly shines.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-309008 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-wp-pid=\"309008\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 150w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1-300x300.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1.jpg?size=528x528&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1-600x600.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1-768x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1-990x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1-1024x1024.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1-1200x1200-cropped.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1-1320x1320.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1-1200x1200-cropped.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/1024;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-309008\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-wp-pid=\"309008\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 150w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1-300x300.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1.jpg?size=528x528&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1-600x600.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1-768x768.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1-990x990.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1-1024x1024.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1-1200x1200-cropped.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1-1320x1320.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1320w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/pixies-filler-1-1200x1200-cropped.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>While the rules are very easy, that doesn\u2019t mean the decisions are. From deciding what to pick out of the lineup to where to place it once you\u2019ve grabbed it, there are a lot of considerations to take into account. Which of the available cards is going to score you the most immediate points? Do any of the cards work particularly well with whatever your current setup is? If none of them do, is there a card you can use to validate one of your others? Perhaps there\u2019s a card you can take from the lineup to prevent an opponent from capitalizing on it. Or, maybe you can force the round to come to an end by drafting a card for your ninth spot in your tableau.<\/p>\n<p>Having drafted a card, you then have to figure out where to place it. If it\u2019s the first copy of a number you\u2019ve drafted, the decision is easy. But, if it\u2019s the second or third, the choice becomes more complex. If it\u2019s the second, do you keep it on top, or do you keep the other? Sometimes the choice is easy, but oftentimes it isn\u2019t. There\u2019s a good deal of crossing your fingers and hoping for the best involved, and that may not sit well with some. While there is a lot of\u00a0 player agency in <i>Pixies<\/i>, there\u2019s also much that is entirely out of your control. Sometimes you\u2019re at the head of the line with a wealth of options. Others, you\u2019re stuck with having to do the best you can with the leftovers. Thankfully, it\u2019s a shared misery. At some point, everyone\u2019s going to be first at the table, and everyone\u2019s going to have their turn having to eat the scraps. It\u2019s a game of tactics more so than a game of strategy, and it works very well.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, <i>Pixies<\/i> is a great little game, and I have derived much satisfaction from it. However, the lack of theme drives me crazy. When you\u2019ve got a seriously talented artist like Sylvain Trabut creating all these whimsical, magical creatures out of various objects he\u2019s found on his nature walk, it\u2019s a shame to present them without any kind of thematic backdrop. <i>Pixies<\/i> is a game that\u2019s just screaming for a story, even if it\u2019s just lip service. Even if the story sucks. I want to know more about these little creatures. I want to know where they come from and what they\u2019re doing. Heck, I want to know what <b><i>I<\/i><\/b> am doing. Why am I collecting pixies? And why am I arranging them in a grid? What\u2019s the actual point? A solid story could alleviate these questions.<\/p>\n<p>That being said\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Despite its complete and utter lack of theme or story, <i>Pixies<\/i> has easily won me over. The cheeky artwork, the ultra-portable packaging, the quick and easy setup and teardown, the rapid play time, and the interesting decisions it requires its players to make ensure that this little treasure will always have a home on my shelf.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The forest is teeming with energy. There&#8217;s a palpable excitment in the air. The Pixies have arrived! Check out our review of Pixies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":309006,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"MSN_Categories":"Uncategorized","MSN_Publish_Option":true,"MSN_Is_Local_News":false,"MSN_Is_AIAC_Included":"Empty","MSN_Location":"[]","MSN_Add_Feature_Img_On_Top_Of_Post":false,"MSN_Has_Custom_Author":false,"MSN_Custom_Author":"","MSN_Has_Custom_Canonical_Url":false,"MSN_Custom_Canonical_Url":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"coauthors":[892],"class_list":["post-309009","reviews","type-reviews","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-animal-board-games","category-card-games","designers-johannes-goupy","mechanisms-connections","mechanisms-open-drafting","mechanisms-set-collection","publishers-bombyx","publishers-cranio-creations","publishers-fabrika-igr","publishers-gaminbiz","publishers-hanall-mc","publishers-hobby-japan","publishers-pandasaurus-games","publishers-pegasus-spiele","publishers-tranjis-games","publishers-ttgames-cz","artists-sylvain-trabut","release_year-8432"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Pixies Game Review &#8212; Meeple Mountain<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The forest is teeming with energy. There&#039;s a palpable excitment in the air. The Pixies have arrived! Check out our review of Pixies.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/pixies\/\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/pixies\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Board Game Reviews\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Pixies Game Review\"}]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Pixies Game Review &#8212; Meeple Mountain","description":"The forest is teeming with energy. There's a palpable excitment in the air. The Pixies have arrived! Check out our review of Pixies.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/pixies\/","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/pixies\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Board Game Reviews","item":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Pixies Game Review"}]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reviews\/309009"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reviews"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/reviews"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=309009"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reviews\/309009\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/309006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=309009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=309009"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=309009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}