An Otter Won (2020)

About this game

Second game in Button Shy's Otterverse, follow-up of Why I Otter. It's not easy making a cool otter den. You'll want to influence the best otters to hang out in yours. And often you’ll get to decide which otter goes where. Do you want this otter? Or an otter won? An Otter Won' is a spiritual sequel to Why I Otter, taking everything up a notch (including the ridiculous otters). Here's a short description from Aaron: It's still trick-taker-like. Works sort of in the opposite manner than Why I Otter. In Why I Otter you score your tricks from public conditions. In An Otter Won you have personal conditions in the cards you've taken into your den that play off public otter cards in the river. It's a bit more thinky/gamerly. It also does away with rock/paper/scissors. It uses a neutral setup card per trick that may help determine if the high or the low card wins the round. The winner assigns those 3 cards (neutral yours and opponents) to which goes to which location. Opponent den, your den and the river. —description from the publisher Released in the July 2020 Board Game of the Month Club $20+ package.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Strictly 2 players — no more, no fewer.
• Rules load. At 1.5/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 6 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.