Pitch Out - Tactical Disk-Flicking Game

Theres nothing bad to say about this game. All the parts are really good quality, and the packaging, that are game parts, is really clever. I'd like to see expansions to this game with new characters and abilities, maybe another faction. So easy and fun

The rules are not clear; boys (5 &7) invented their own.

I learned about this game not too long ago and was interested in it. I was not disappointed. It's a fantastic game with high quality components! Well worth picking up!

We recently played a "flick and write" game called Sonora where we really liked the flicking part more than the writing part. With that in mind, Pitch Out is a really fun game. You get the flicking without the confusing writing part. In some ways it is like Ice Cool but it has a much smaller size and is easier to set up. I love Ice Cool, but this is way easier to set up and carry around. You get a cool little bag and the storage system which are actually the game obstacles is quite clever and makes this game way easier to store and transport. My son gets mad because my thumb skills from my knock hockey days as a kid in day camp give me a huge advantage. The characters you get to play with the pucks give you different skills and abilities which make this game rise above other pitch games I have played like Ice Cool or Sonora. The discs you flick have different powers and abilities and it makes the game more interesting. There is also a more advanced variant where you bring in other discs with even more powerful characters with some really cool abilities. Personally I like to play with the Assassin and the Runner. This is not some very advanced game by Feld or a complex heavy euro like Lisboa. It is flicking and it is fun. Sonora had a nice simple flicking element that was followed by a less fun way too complex writing part. This keeps the flicking and gets rid of the confusing write part. The defensive blocks and the different abilities of the characters on the "Hoods" team or the "citizens" team make this game a "pitch" game but a way more interesting pitch game without losing sight of the fact that sometime just flicking things and trying to knock someone's puck off the board is fun. This is a fun two player game, high quality components, that plays fast. You can play it to kill time or bring it to a game night as some fun filler between bigger games or waiting for people to finish a game. My only suggestion for improvement might be a better rule book or some kind of video showing a game or how to play. Bottom line: fun!

In Pitch Out, you play opposing clans trying to eliminate each other from the field of battle. Players and enemies are represented by teams of pucks. There are five obstacles (which when not in play stack together to make a cool storage case), which players need to flick their pucks around.The goal is to send the opposing player's captain out of the arena or to leave the opposing captain alone on the field. The field itself is any flat surface measuring a little less than 3' X 3'. The pucks have little depressions which hold cardboard tokens representing each player's team. Each token gives the puck it's in a different power -- there's the assassin, which eliminates any puck it touches, the guard, which can be sacrificed for an eliminated pawn, etc.The pucks fit into the obstacles which stack together, so the whole game can be stored in a handy little cube instead of the game box, if desired. The rulebook also fits inside the obstacles. Finally, there's a travel bag for it, making taking it to and from game night (or on a trip) a breeze.The only thing that would make this game better would be player reference guides as the abilities of the pucks are printed inside the rulebook in rather small type (although they aren't that hard to learn). Other than that, this game is just pure fun.To the publisher: how about a print and play PDF of a player guide?

REVIEW: Pitch OutMANUFACTURER: Gigamic/JocusDIMENSIONS: 8.375” x 7.125” x 3.125”STYLE: Plastic-puck-flicking dexterity gamePLAYERS: 2 (but could be played in teams)SUGGESTED AGE: 7+GAME LENGTH: 10 minutesDESIGNER: Adrien CharlesARTIST: Laurent NicolasCOMPONENTS: 16 pucks, 18 character tokens, 5 defensive blocks, 1 carry bag, 1 rulebookMADE IN: ChinaOVERVIEWCan the old magic of the Hood defeat the military might of the Citizens? Cast your opponent’s pucks out of the arena with a flick of your finger! Laughs! Laments! And it’s all over in the blink of an eye.Pitch Out is a new flicking game from the reputable French publisher Gigamic, known for its wooden games Quarto and Quoridor. Flicking games have become more abundant in recent years, with some notables such as Flick ’em Up! and Ice Cool. Players use their fingers to flick a small puck across a board to score points or hit an opponent’s piece.All the pieces fit into spaces in the defensive blocks which can then be assembled to form a small, portable cube. It even has a space for the instructions. A game bag is included for carrying. Seems like a game made to take along to the pub—so long as you don’t knock a puck somewhere it can never be found. (See the images below for component views and sample setup.)GAME PLAYIn Pitch Out, two players take turns flicking pucks across a table or floor (you choose the playing area), hoping to knock their opponent’s pieces out of the arena. The player who eliminates an opponent’s Captain piece OR all the pieces except the opponent’s Captain is the winner. Play three rounds, and best two-out-of-three is the winner.PUCK/TOKEN CAPABILITIESBoth Hood and Citizens have the same five base characters:> Captain - Can adopt the special skill of any of its team’s eliminated characters> Runner - Can take a second turn if it hits no other puck> Guard - Can swap places with an eliminated character> Immortal - Can’t be eliminated by leaving the arena on its own> Assassin - Can eliminate an opponent character by touch aloneCitizens also have:> Major - Can’t be eliminated by special character powers> Commando - Can take another turn if it hits another puck> Sapper - Can move a defensive block if it hitsHood also has:> Infested - Like an assassin but destroys itself also> Shadow - If it hits an opponent puck, pins it down and prevents its use> Shaman - Can summon up to two additional Golem characters to fightThe combination of the special powers and maneuvering around the defensive blocks adds depth to an otherwise simple “I eliminate your puck, and you eliminate mine” kind of match, upping the strategy.The rules on the Sapper were unclear. We weren’t sure if a hit on a defensive block is enough OR must the sapper piece still touch the block after it hits—OR did that mean it must be left touching the defensive block after the block was moved. Not sure.PRO+ Compact and portable, the game can be played almost anywhere.+ Gigamic makes quality games.+ Can be played as a team game.+ Plays quickly.+ Many game expansion possibilities exist.MEH* Did you see where that puck landed? I can’t find it…* Swapping the golem tokens in and out of the puck repeatedly may affect their fit over time.- Playing surface makes a big difference in play.CON- Rules on the Sapper character are unclear.- May play too quickly for some.- Game bag is white cotton, which seems certain to attract dirt and stains.- Made in China.THOUGHTSMy wife and I had fun playing, with some laughs here and there. We spent a lot of time retrieving pucks from all over our living room, though. We set up on a standard card table, which is about the right size. Our round kitchen table was a little too large, but arena size might be up to you.This is a very light filler game. Plays lightning quick. A couple rounds with my wife were over in just two turns each. Portability is a plus. I think kids down to 5-years-old could grok the rules with a decent explanation. And if they don’t play it right, what’s lost? The thrill of knocking out an opponent’s puck is its own reward. And the agony is watching your own errant shot send your character to its doom.SUMMARYAnyone looking for a quick, portable, dexterity game will find this fits the bill. If the game sells well, an expansion with other characters and obstacles could be in the future. Gigamic makes good games, and this one maintains the reputation.