East Tennessee Gamers
Greg J. Schloesser
August 2006
USA

Out of the Box – best known for its highly successful Apples to Apples party game – has been steadily releasing a line of quality strategy games designed to test the skill and acumen of the players. The initial wave of these abstract games was in partnership with PIN International, and all were highly attractive, with components being constructed with decorative wood. The company is also releasing non-wooden products, but the game play is equally as challenging and engaging.

Coverup is played on a 5x5, three-dimensional plastic board, and uses a familiar “connect four-in-a-row” objective. The twist is that the pieces – flat plastic disks – come in three sizes, and larger pieces can cover smaller pieces. Further, the largest discs can be moved, which can cause pieces underneath it to be revealed. Thus, the game does have a memory element in that players should attempt to remember the color of the piece that may lie beneath these larger pieces. Failure to remember this could prove detrimental, and unwittingly aid your opponent. This mechanism is eerily similar to the one used in Gobblet, a game designed by Thierry Denoual and released by Blue Orange Games. Makes one wonder if Gobblet was an influence on this design.

Game play is incredibly simple. Players each receive 12 disks: 3 large, 4 medium and 5 small. They alternate placing pieces onto the board, attempting to connect four of their disks in a row. Disks fit snuggly into the recessed spaces, so there is little chance of upsetting the board. Once placed, small and medium-sized pieces remain stationary and may not be moved. Large pieces, however, can be moved on future turns, but this will reveal the disk that lies underneath it. Part of the strategy is moving these pieces at the moment to either thwart an opponent or re-position the piece to achieve victory.

The game is easy to learn, and plays to completion in ten minutes or so. There isn’t an awful lot to think about, so there is little danger of someone causing the game to bog-down by over-analyzing his possible moves. Yet, there are definite tactics to employ, and the absence of any luck factors makes this a game of pure skill. The fact that it plays quickly and doesn’t over-tax one’s mental abilities makes Coverup a nice filler for couples and gamers.

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