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Game reviews: MiMiQ, Pyramid Poker and Coin Quest by R&R Games bring on the fun
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In the winner-take-all game of Coin Quest, you are part of a mysterious cabal of elite coin collectors. Outbid and outsmart your peers in an informal auction to acquire better coins. In this deck-building game, coins replace cards. The shrewdest collector will be the one who goes home with all the coins. - photo by Ryan Morgenegg
Three games recently released from R&R Games allow friends and families to bring on the fun in 2017. The games offer a variety of player counts, skill levels and themes. Check out these detailed reviews for MiMiQ, Pyramid Poker and Coin Quest.

The game MiMiQ plays similar to Go Fish, but the creative team at R&R has dreamed up a creative twist. Two to six players ages 4 and up are dealt three cards each. The goal is to collect the most sets of identical cards by the end of the game.

The cards themselves are beautifully illustrated and feature the faces of people both old and young. The people on the cards are doing silly poses such as puffing out their cheeks, touching their noses or pulling on their hair. A separate farm edition of MiMiQ features the faces of farm animals with the same beautiful art.

Players are trying to collect matches, so on a player's turn, he or she asks another player for a card by saying, "Please, do you have " and then he or she imitates the face of the card that is desired.

If the player asked does not have any card matches, he or she sticks out his or her tongue and the active player draws a card from the deck. If the player asked has any cards that match, he or she must surrender all of them to the active player. If all three cards of a set are collected, a match is made and placed on the table. Play continues until all the cards have been matched. The player with the most matches wins.

MiMiQ is great for families with young children. Kids will laugh and have fun as they make funny faces and see adults being silly too. You haven't lived until you've seen grandma smile big and broad like a farmyard pig. This is definitely more entertaining than the standard game of Go Fish.

Pyramid Poker is for two players ages 12 and up. As might be guessed, players are building a pyramid with blocks. The sturdy wooden blocks in the game each have a card value printed on them similar to a standard set of playing cards.

There are two phases of the game. Phase one players place blocks forming a pyramid and in phase two players draw blocks and try to complete poker hands.

To begin, the 54 blocks are mixed and placed face down around the table. Each player draws 15 and keeps them hidden. Players alternate turns placing a block with the value facing them, thereby building a pyramid wall between them. A player can only see the value of the blocks he or she placed.

When the pyramid is complete, players alternate turns taking a block off the pyramid and forming three poker hands (five blocks each). Proper planning is important because blocks can only be taken from the pyramid if there are none above. Also, only half the blocks are visible, so a player can take a block facing an opponent as a wild draw in hope of getting something good.

Points are awarded for poker hands containing straights, flushes, four of a kind and a full house. Additional points can be earned for winning more hands than an opponent. The person with the most points wins.

Pyramid Poker is an interesting new way to play poker for two players. The quality of the wooden blocks is impressive and the tactile feel of taking and placing blocks is a fun element. Fans of poker looking for a new twist for two players should check this out.

R&R Games has created something special with the game Coin Quest. There are several mechanics at work in the game that combine to make this title really good. It's the type of game people like to play often and add to their library of games.

Two to five players ages 12 and up will attempt to gather the most impressive collection of coins. Highly collectible coins give the player prestige points and the most prestigious collector will win the game.

A main board showing a score track, six scoring areas and a group of market coins to be collected is placed on the table. Each player receives a privacy screen and a player board matching the six areas on the main game board.

But wait, there's more. Each player also receives a set of 10 coins with different values and powers on them as well as a collection pouch in their own unique color. Each turn, a player will draw five coins from their pouch to be used to manipulate the auctions. This element makes the game unique. Coins will be acquired and added to a player's pouch so every draw is something special.

Coins have different values based on the number on the coin and its quality: gold silver or copper. For example, a gold coin of value one trumps a silver or copper coin of any number value. This is important in helping determine who wins the multiple auctions at the core of this game.

Each turn, the main game board has six areas that will be auctioned off. Three areas contain random coins given to the highest bidder and three areas contain prestige points given to the highest bidder.

Players take the five coins drawn from their own bags and place them behind a privacy screen. Then each player decides which of the six areas they will try to win at auction by allocating their coins.

When players have determined which spots they will bid for, they reveal their bids. The highest bidder is determined for each of the six areas and awards are given.

Next, using prestige points, players may purchase one coin from the coin market on the main board. Coins acquired and used each turn are placed in a discard pile. They are added back to a player's personal draw pouch when the pouch runs out of coins.

It's important to mention that some of the coins have special actions on them that occur when they are first drawn from the bag. For example, some coins give extra points at the end of the game, some give immediate prestige points and some let the player draw additional coins to use that round.

Rounds continue with players collecting coins and prestige points until the supply of coins that can be auctioned runs out. Final prestige points are awarded and the player with the most prestige points wins.

Similar to the same kind of frenzy real coin collectors experience, Coin Quest has a soul so infectious, players will be begging to play the game again and again. The ability to customize a coin collection and then actually use those coins in the game works extremely well. The mechanics and theme work hand in glove. This game receives my highest recommendation. Get collecting!
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