Ballonrennen (1977)

About this game

Players pilot their balloons -- represented by nice plastic devices capable of showing three different altitudes -- trying to deliver the mail! The wind changes randomly however each turn and may play havoc with the best of plans. Since the sequence of play is that a player first chooses altitude and then turns over a wind card to see how the speed and direction change, it can be almost maddening trying to get anywhere with certainty. And it is not simply a matter of crossing a line, but actually landing on a specific spot. Some nice ideas are the accurate reflection that stronger winds exist at higher altitudes and at least in some sense the interplay between gas and ballast in piloting.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 5.
• Rules load. At 1.6/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 12 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.