Mybeerbuzz .com Highlights Beer Games: Front Porch Classics Table Top Shuffleboard & Chickapig

From time to time I get some fun opportunities to try out something other than beer…and while I love sampling beer, I also enjoy getting my hands on beer-related items as well.  Today we’ll be checking out some games, and after you read on, I think you’ll find these games are a ton of fun, especially after enjoying a beer or two.

While I am a child of the video-game-generation, I’ll admit one of my favorite bar games has always been the classic Shuffleboard tables.  I’ve played the game at several of our local pubs and even at breweries like Yards in Philadelphia but the size of these games has always made them impractical for home use.  This is where Front Porch Classics steps in with our first game of the day, Table Top Shuffleboard.

This “pub-style” Shuffleboard game will fit on a standard kitchen table and it’s every bit as fun and challenging as it’s larger cousin.  First off, I should mention the game looks great.  It’s made of real wood and it has a really solid feel when you play.  The board is 62-inches long and 10-inches wide so it not only fits on your table, it’s also as challenging as a full-sized board.  The board stores nicely in an organized box (with a handle included on the box) and the shuffleboard game rules are pretty much exactly the same as the larger version.  The box includes four red and four blue “pucks” and even metal scoring pegs (just like the real thing).

The table sets up easily and even includes adjustable legs to level the board.  The board itself is made up of two sections that easily connect with magnets.  We setup the game and I was surprised how quickly everyone went from being mildly interested to calling “next game.”  It takes a few shots to get the hang of it, but my friends quickly became pretty good at the game.  I was also surprised how many people who weren’t into shuffleboard were excited to play the game because of all of the Olympic Curling coverage.  In the end we had a blast playing Table Top Shuffleboard and based on what I saw with my friends, your friends and family will love it as well. 

Next up (and on a different night) we tried out Chikapig.  This game was popularized by musician Dave Matthews and the NPR story on All Things Considered.  A Chikapig is a hybrid chicken-pig and just one of the chikapig farm animals you’ll find in the game.  The game was created by Brian Calhoun (a guitar maker from Virginia) and Dave Matthews is actually helping promote the game.  The objective of the game is to move your “herd” of Chikapigs from one side of the board to the other…BUT at the same time you’re trying to throw up obstacles (like Poo and hay bales) to prevent your opponents from doing the same.

We went over the rules (it’s fairly simple) and we started the game.  All of the Chikapigs start on your side of the board with the goal of reaching the gate on the other side of the board with your entire herd (once in the gate you remove them from the board).  The Chikapigs can move in a straight line (forward, backwards or sideways) and they only stop when they reach the edge of the board, another Chikapig or and obstacle (like a hay bale).  This is considered one move.  You can also move your own hay bales (the colors match your Chikapigs) but only one square at a time.  Hay bales can used to help guide your Chikapig toward the exit OR to block your opponent from doing the same.  Each hay bale move is considered a “move” and the number of total moves you get each turn is decided by a roll of the dice.

The game moves very quickly (especially if you roll a six) and there’s no shortage of fun built in.  I should also mention that four people can play at the same time so the number of strategies can get a bit complex…in fact some call Chikapig “farmers chess.”  I should also mention the Cow, or what I call “everyone’s favorite part of the game.”  If you roll a one, you can move the cow to any square on the board and the cow leaves a poop on that square.  You can also move the cow one square during your turn, but the poop remains where it was placed.  A Chikapig can run over the poop, but you have to draw a “poop card” and remove the poop form the board.  The poop cards are funny but they are also consequential to your game and enforced at the end of your move….and of course they are all bad.

The game also included Daisy Cards that are drawn when you roll a two (instead of your turn if you choose to draw.)  These cards are all good and can be played at any point, however you can only hold one and can’t play it in the turn you drew it.  We should also note that while you can try to block an opponent’s goal, there always has to be one opening to each player’s goal.

We tried out the game with four players (and two beers) and it was a lot of fun.  We found it best to use the included hour glass to limit the time of each player’s moves (to keep the game moving).  We also found that it took some players a game or two to get the strategy, but once we hit game two, everyone was pretty good at Chikapig.  We also had one player who loved the cow poop and devoted her game to just dropping poop.  This strategy didn’t necessarily further her game, but she did actually still do pretty well; and of course she seemed to have more fun.  Overall we really think Chikapig is a really fun game without a steep learning curve.

Both Table Top Shuffleboard and Chikapig are available on Amazon (and on their websites) and we really had a lot of fun playing both.  I’ve since pulled both games out and both seem to appeal to all age groups and sober (or drunk) audiences.  Try these games out for yourself, and when you do, be sure to let us know what YOU think.