As I sip coffee from my Donald Duck mug, I’m at a loss of where to start. I have my standard “I’m employed by Disney but am unaffiliated with anyone involved with this game” comment, but while I feel it’s important to note, it’s kind of bleh and not much fun.
Maybe I need to go outside and let the warmth of the sun wash over me. I should go hiking in the great outdoors and be like the Junior Woodchucks getting in touch with nature. But there’s bugs that bite, sticky tree sap, and smelly skunks.
Maybe I’ll just stay inside on write this review instead.
Donald Duck in Happy Camper is a two to four player competitive game that plays in about 30 to 45 minutes and is targeted at gamers eight and up and is a reimplementation of Goldland.
Gameplay Overview:
In this competitive resource management game, each of the seven rounds begins with drawing a Donald Duck card which will offer benefits for that day.
Then, each player will take their turn doing the following actions in this order:
First is the Scout action which has you flipping over an unexplored tile that is adjacent to another explored area or a white bordered meadow area and then move Donald’s standee to it.
The second is the first of two use gadgets steps. These are typically items that help you collect resources, and each one can be used once per turn.
Third is the Build tents and move step. At the start of this phase, you’ll put a marker at the first empty space on your backpack that’s empty, and that’s the maximum number of movement points you have this turn. Moving through a white bordered space or an adventure space with one or more of your tents costs one movement point, while an adventure space without a tent costs three.
During this phase, you can pay resources to build tents based on the requirements for that area.
Fourth is the second and final time to use gadgets before the fifth step, which is earning merit badges. If you meet the requirement for a badge you’re working on, you’ll move it to the left of your backpack, and it’ll be worth victory points at the end of the game. Then you draw two new cards and keep one to work on during the next turn.
There are game scoring bonuses for getting to the Lookout point earlier and having the most tents in various terrain types. And there are some additional rules for two and three-player games to turn over extra tiles to ensure all tiles are always explored by the end of the game.
Game Experience:
In some ways, this game is intuitive, which makes teaching it to kids straightforward. Carrying more stuff makes you not move as far, as I’m sure anyone that’s been backpacking with a heavy pack can attest. However, gadget use timing to maximize benefit and trying to plan a long-term strategy may be a challenge for some younger kids.
Managing your movement and resources is the core of what you’re doing each round. The luck of the draw of all the draw decks and even the tiles can be impactful. I’ve been able to execute turns that had me pitching multiple tents and earning a merit badge with some good draw luck, while an opponent just had a bad draw on a second gadget. However, their strategy was to get a second gadget while I focused on earning merit badges. Over the course of the game, I’d expect this type of randomness to even out if both players are playing efficiently. But I guess in extreme cases, it’s better to be lucky than good.
Most badges are accomplishable quickly, and the rules give you an option to drop the badge you’re working on to earn a different one, which can be a good choice if a particular badge isn’t vibing with your current strategy. With badges being a large source of points, and at two to three points each, they could be worth half of your final points. Another positive of that design decision is you’re regularly getting little endorphin rushes from placing a tent or earning a merit badge, so you always feel like you’re making progress.
Another large source of points is the explorer awards for having the most tents in a terrain type. While there are merit badges that award having a tent in all areas, it seemed more advantageous to work on dominating a few areas because finishing second in all of them won’t help you win. Competing for these and getting to Lookout Point early are the two main aspects of player conflict. There are a few cards that allow negative player interactions, but you’re mostly just working on your own puzzle as you can place tents where other players have previously camped without penalty. In general, it’s kind of multiplayer solitaire, but that’s probably better than a more cutthroat area control game. If you hate your family and want to play an aggressive area-control board game, just play Monopoly.
Overall, the game is straightforward and accessible to younger kids but the cost for those perks is the game may not have the staying power with more experienced gamers. I see this game as a great gateway game and one to play with non-gamers more than a replacement for heavier games.
The production of this game is fantastic. The double layer boards holding the thin wooden resource tokens and the four unique wooden tents make this feel like a deluxe game. Maestro Media is knocking it out of the park with IP games recently (they’re two for two for me between this and The Smurfs Hidden Village). The character art is great in the classic animation styling and the tile’s terrain type are easily identifiable.
The theme, while kind of thin, is fun. Between the aforementioned pack weight affecting travel to quotes on cards and some of the funny gadgets, there’s a lot to enjoy without unnecessary brain burn. Where the theme lost me is—Donald is generally happy. There are a few cards that allow players to move other players’ tents or standees around, but there are no traditional melt-downs of the pants-less duck living his best life.
Final Thoughts:
As a gentle introduction to resource management, Donald Duck in Happy Camper is a great place to start. It’s quick playing, easy to teach, and has fun components to fiddle with. This is a light game, and as such, it may not have the staying power for many heavier gamers. But if you or a neophyte board gamer like camping and/or Donald Duck (with nephews and niece), this is a good game to introduce some basic concepts in under an hour.
Final Score: 3.5 Stars – Donald Duck in Happy Camper packs in a solid experience without the extra baggage.
Hits:
• Great components for the price point
• Straightforward resource management
• Minimal negative player interaction
• Easy to earn little successes each turn
Misses:
• Can be a bit of a multiplayer solitaire
• Extreme cases of luck can beat sound strategy
• Limited depth for more experienced gamers
Source: Board Game Quest
