Ever since I got the game Log Shot, there have been times where I am sitting around with my friends, and someone now asks if we can race horses. I know exactly what they mean even though they never seem to be able to remember the name of the game in which we race horses. It is a forgivable mistake because once we start playing the game, we get so lost in what is going on that we never bother to look back at the box where the name of the game is, and get more excited about which horse is going to win. It has gotten so fun that it has now become a frequent companion of mine when I go to the pub because the more people that come and play the game, the more exciting the game becomes. It has become a game that gets to the table often and I have not complaints with ever buying it.
So what makes this game so great? Why is a it a hit with so many people? Why should you consider getting this game to add to your collection? Well, here is my review of Long Shot to answer all of these questions and maybe a few others you might have concerning this roll and write pub game designed by Chris Handy that has brought me so much pleasure.
THEME
You find yourself at the horse track with twelve bucks in your hand and two tickets for two of the horses before the races begin. This is when the race begins, and while it is going on there are a lot of choices that can be made along the way that will manipulate the end result of the race. What appears to be a simple horse racing game really starts to shine because Chris Handy made the focus of the game on the gamblers and not the horse racers. The atmosphere really starts to shine the bigger the group gets when playing the game, and I really start to take on the role of the gambler as I get excited with each roll of the dice. It is so much fun that I find myself drawn to watching the game even when I am not playing the game.
Rating – 10
GAMEPLAY
Long Shot can trace its heritage back to Yahtzee, but this is more exciting than the game that sits on the back shelf of your childhood home. It is one of many roll and writes that can be found now-a-days in game shops, but this one is unique in its game play that it stands out among the others. Each person on their turn rolls two dice, one eight-sided and one special six-sided. The eight-sided die decides which horse moves forward on the track, and the six-sided decides how far that horse moves, but the numbers only go up to three on that die with more ones than twos or threes. It sounds pretty simple and it becomes a race game that you would play when you were just learning how to play games to learn your numbers, but then the choice comes in and it complicates the race.
Every player has a wipe board in front of them, and based on the eight-sided die’s roll, they have five choices of what to do with that number. The first thing they can do is buy a horse. If that horse gets first, second, or third place, the owner makes money. They can also take a jersey action. They can mark one of the other numbers on the horse whose number was rolled. By doing this, every time that number is rolled, the numbers with the marks move forward one as well. There is also the option of placing up to a three dollars bet on the horse’s number who was rolled. This needs to happen before the horse crosses the red line on the track because after that no more bets can be placed on the horse. This is unless someone takes the helmet action which allows them to bet on the horse at any time before it crosses the finish line. The last action that a person can perform involves a matrix that opens up many new tricks that manipulates the race. Each of these decisions leads to a path that might make any player the most successful gambler in the game, but depending on which horse crosses the line, first, second, and third, it could also bring about their demise. It is these choices that keep this game fun and exciting until the final moments of the race.
Rating – 9
ARTWORK
After the horses are allowed out of the gate, there is an absurdity to every race that is run in this game. If Clau Souza came in and designed the art around a realistic approach to a racetrack, I do not think that this game would have the same appeal. The cartoony jockeys and horses add to the absurdity of the race as it takes place.
Each of the cards that are given to each of the players also adds to the fun. It does make you feel like you are standing in the crowded bleachers looking down at the horses as they race around the track. Also the laminated card was a nice addition because it allowed for the fun of erasing marks and adding them to the matrix that is in front of you. There is something satisfying about this approach to a roll and write game, and it cuts down on the waste that can sometimes be found with these games.
When I first saw the race track, I was a little disappointed. I couldn’t wrap my head around how to keep all of the horses on the track and make them fit. It looked too bare and something that was rushed just so there could be a track that the horses could run on. This quickly changed after the first race. As soon as the horses spread out over the track, the race came to life, and what was bare and uninteresting instantly became exciting to watch. It add to the flavor of the excitement of the race, and it just showed how all the pieces came together in harmony to create a fun game.
Rating – 10
INTERACTIVITY
I first got the game because I was going to be traveling with a group of six, and I thought this would be the perfect travel game. I was a little worried about the higher player count because of having to wait for your turn. Unfortunately, the travel that I was hoping to get out of the game did not happen, but I did get to play it at two and four player count. Oddly, I found that when more people played the game the more exciting it got, and the more people cheered for the individual horses. This is when I decided to bring it to the pub with me one night, and we ended up playing with eight people. This was when the game really sang. Everybody was excited about their turn, and were so engaged in what was happening on the tiny board that I was surprised that a game that was not a party game could work so well on a higher player count. It didn’t hurt that we had a waiter constantly bringing us more beer, but despite this fact, it has become my favorite pub game, and accompanies me a lot when we go out for a beer or two.
Rating – 10
EXPANSIONS
I am a sucker for expansions. It allows a game to find new life if I start to get bored with it. Most of the time they add new rules to add to the complexity of the game, and Long Shot is no exception. There are four more sets of horse cards to mix up what can happen in any given game, and then there is also a Track Events expansion. The horse sets do add a little change to the game, but I am completely satisfied with the three sets that come with the game, and I have not even come close to becoming bored with them after multiple game plays. The Track Events expansion adds one more choice that players can take per die role, and there are eight different ones. I will be honest that I have not come to play any of these as well. I have not found a reason to play them. The base game works so well that I do not feel the need to add to the complexity of the game. It would also make teaching the game, which I find I do a lot, also a little more difficult. There is already enough choice in the game that I do not think that I would need to add more. In other words, I am sure that the expansions are fine, but the base game is so great that I do not think that it is necessary to buy more to enhance an already perfect game.
They do allow you to buy all of the expansions together in one large pack, or if you just one of the various horse sets or the Track Events expansion, you can get them separately for a reasonable price. It is nice to know that these expansions are out there, and I might get around to purchasing them someday. I just am not there yet. I am enjoying the game too much in its original inception.
Rating – 6
OVERALL
I absolutely love, Long Shot: The Dice Game. I am excited every time that I get to bring it out to the table, and I have yet to meet someone who has not enjoyed it as well. It is an easy game to learn how to play, and easy game to teach. The learning curve is so simple that anybody can win the first time they play, but it is thinky enough that you do not feel as if you are being cheated if you lose. It encapsulates what it would be like to go to the horse races as each running of the horses brings to life the excitement of that moment without having to lose real money when you lose. The more people you bring into the game, the more exciting it gets, and it will always have a place on my shelf. This could be the most fun I have ever had playing a roll and write game with a group of people.
Rating – 4.5 out of 5 stars.
(This rating reflects my feelings about the expansions being unnecessary. I will come back a revisit this some day as I am planning to add the expansions to my collection in December. The game is great. Go get it today.)
John Collings 