Bladder (2000)

About this game

BLADDER combines elements of the 2 most popular pastimes ever, Chess and Football (i.e. REAL football, what Americans call soccer!), recreating the total mayhem of village games during the time of King James ...14 playing pieces per side. Bladder is very much a game of two halves. Positional maneuvering in the first half preceding the picking up of the bladder followed by the more fluid passing and elimination action of the second half.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Strictly 2 players — no more, no fewer.
• Rules load. At 2.0/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 6 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.