Thoughts from the Yellow Meeple:- Loony Quest

Game: Loony Quest

Manufacturer: Libellud

Designer: Laurent Escoffier  & David Franck

 Year: 2015

Loony Quest had been on my radar, but only as a children’s game. However, I got the opportunity to give it a try at a board game group and found I was rather good at it. To my slight shame, I do tend to enjoy games I’m good at, so Loony Quest caught my attention. On a recent holiday to Valencia we visited a local game store and Loony Quest was one of the few multi-lingual options available so we took it home as our holiday souvenir and it’s been hitting the table a lot ever since!

Loony Quest is a point scoring, drawing game in which each player tries to meet a drawing challenge over the course of 6 rounds. Each round is a scene with certain point scoring opportunities and other features which are obstacles. Each round allows different drawings, for example, a specific number of lines, a certain number of circles or a certain number of dots and there’s a time limit of 30 second to draw the required elements, hitting the targets that gain points and avoiding the obstacles which lose you points.

Your drawing is on acetate so each player takes a turn to place their acetate over the central scene and see what their net score is based on their drawing. The drawing will also determine whether the player obtains any bonuses or bombs. Bonuses vary from positive effects for the player who obtains them, for example 2 victory points or penalties they can play on other players. Bombs are typically something that will inhibit your drawing next round, for example drawing with your non-dominant hand.

In this case, you need to draw one line. 3 points are available for drawing a line from corner to corner, additional points for hitting the yellow circles and penalties for hitting the walls or creatures.

Each game only lasts six rounds and the player who has accumulated the most points is the winner. However, if you want more of a challenge you can progress onto further levels. The levels get more challenging by placing rewards much closer to obstacles, making some obstacles result in sudden death rather than just a couple of points lost, or even having to do the level with your eyes closed! The game tests your spatial awareness, and I believe actually improve it with practice. You certainly get better by practicing the same level over and over again, which can be challenging when you’re always introducing the game to new players, but it’s also good to keep challenging yourself on the advanced levels when you get the opportunity to play with the same people again.

The key thing for me about Loony Quest is that it’s unique. I don’t think I’ve ever played another game that makes a level playing field for drawing and creates a really fun game out of it. It’s a genuine challenge for adults and although I haven’t played it with any younger gamers, I guess the game provides quite a level playing field for adults and children alike.

The setup for a two player game. Loony Quest really stands out on the table, especially because it used the box to hold the central board. This game can be almost as fun to watch as to play :-)

We have been slowly progressing through Loony Quest as a couple, enjoying the increased difficulty, although sometimes it does seem a bit ridiculous how hard a level can be made. It’s also proving to be a great hit at my new work board game group because it’s so accessible to people who’ve not played games before as well as something unique and new for those who have. I’ll be pretty sad when we’ve played all the levels and I’m also concerned we’ll wear it out as the acetate gets dirtier over time. Loony Quest is one of my favourite light games and the Yellow Meeple gives it an 8.5/10.