X-Machina (2003)

About this game

From the publisher: X-Machina is the fun party game where you make impossible inventions out of improbable components for unreasonable customers. Tons of fun for 4-8 players. Use the components (Cogs) in your hand to try and build the gadget the customer wants (Reqs). Since they are never sufficient you might want to be ... inventive ... with your explanation of why it works. In addition to 240 Cog cards and 60 beautifully illustrated Req cards the production version of X-Machina comes with a glossary so you can look up Cogs you might not be completely familiar with. There are one hundred copies in the original "flagpole" edition and they are each numbered and signed by the game designer. The production version was published in 2004.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 4 to 8.
• Rules load. At 1.2/5 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.