If you’re looking for a new board game in isolation, I’m happy to tell you Funkoverse’s new Jurassic Park games are very worth picking up.
Due to circumstances beyond your control you might be in need of some fun at home entertainment. While movies and video games are great options, it’s not a bad time to dive back into some old fashioned board games! Just last year, Funko (known for their various toys and collectibles) came out with the Funkoverse Strategy Game.
Featuring smaller versions of their popular figurines they come in a variety of versions that deliver on some of your favorite pop culture properties. Recently they launched a Jurassic Park themed Funkoverse game, and they were kind enough to send me both the core game and the recently released standalone/expansion set that brings Ian Malcom and a T-Rex into the game.
Folks….I couldn’t be more happy.
First of all, and what’s displayed most prominently are the toys that come included. The core set includes four figurines. These are smaller (non-bobblehead) versions of their popular Pop! Toys, but are no less awesome. You get Dr. Alan Grant, Dr. Ellie Sattler, Ray Arnold, and a Velociraptor. They bring the charm of their larger companions, with cheeky recognizable designs, but with quite a bit more stability to them as far as play factor. Hell, when we haven’t been playing the game itself my toddler has been playing with the figures as regular toys (they look pretty sharp in Elsa’s castle, just saying). So even if you’re just interested in the toys/as a collector, you’re still in good shape.
As for the game itself, all of the Funkoverse games follow similar patterns and rulesets. The included instructions are lengthy (coming in at 19 pages), so I’ll stick to some bare bones ideas here.
The game board is double-sided, giving you options on how you want to play with 2-4 players. Each character comes with their own specific stats and abilities conveyed on the included character cards. A couple even come with items to hold that affect their stats within the game, while others may have specific tokens/dice only for them.
Each player assembles a team of three characters, but don’t worry if you don’t have enough figurines. The game also includes some basic character cards to use as well. While they don’t have the same abilities as the main characters, they manage to keep you playing. Each player gets up to two actions per turn in which they can traverse the elements on the game board or challenge a rival.
Characters can only do a couple actions before becoming “exhausted” and can’t be used again until every character on each player’s team has done the same. There are multiple ways to play, with a fairly basic version as well as a few scenarios you can play through. Each version offers up a unique way to play, and thanks to the varying stats and swappable game board, it ensures that you’ll never play the same way twice.
The game can seem daunting at first, but Funko has done a fairly great job making it as easy as possible to dive into it; complete with a handy instructional video to watch. Even if you’re a novice at strategy games, Funkoverse eases you into their depths. The basic gameplay mode is an excellent way to get started and is more of a “light” version of the deeper game. So even as you play the basics, it’s subtly teaching you the quirks of your chosen characters and the best spots on the board to maximize your abilities. After a few of these, you’ll be itching to dive into the deeper scenarios and strategizing like crazy.
The same concept is extended to the expansions. These work as enhancements to the bigger game, or as a simplified standalone game. So if you’re not sure about whether or not this is the right game for you, you can pick up the cheaper small version to test it out before upgrading with the larger sets.
For those with experience in these types of games, you’ll have plenty of fun because you get the brand experience of Jurassic Park. Or well, ANY of the various Funkoverse brands being used. From Batman to Rick and Morty, there are tons of options for players to choose from. Since they all follow the basic gameplay principles, mixing and matching your characters/boards is encouraged! So if you’ve ever wanted to see one how Harry Potter would deal with a Velociraptor (or one of the Golden Girls), you can do that!
Much like their Pop! figures, I’m feeling that addictive tug with the Funkoverse games. I love Jurassic Park, which is the main reason I wanted to snag these, but I’m finding myself eager to see how the other unique characters would change up my game strategy and overall team.
The bottomline is, if you’re looking for a fun board game to play, which features addictive gameplay that’s easy to start but takes time to master, you can’t go wrong with Funkoverse. While any set will give you a similar experience, I absolutely love the Jurassic Park games.
They bring in characters you love, look great, and gives players the chance to explore some fun dinosaur territory. If you can pick one up, even the standalone version, they will certainly help with your current isolation time.
