Entry 77- Week 32: Slip Strike

        My wife and I went to the 11th Annual PNW Game Swap and had seen one of the guys from Junk Spirit Games for the first time since the Covid Pandemic started. We had inquired about any upcoming games and was told that they have a few in development but nothing coming to Kickstarter soon because the last game was during the pandemic and they still haven’t been able to recover from the astronomical increased prices from the pandemic. 

        We were able to pick up a play mat and a promo card from one of their games that we love and then admitted that even though we have had the last Kickstarter game for a while, it was not tabled it yet. So we decided to play it this week and was glad we did. So let us introduce to you Slip Strike by Junk Spirit Games. 

SLIP STRIKE (2020) 

BGG Description 

Slip Strike is a competitive two-player game in which agents have slipped into another dimension to fight it out using teleportation, time-travel, and a variety of weapons. 

Each round, both players select two cards from their hand of ten as their actions, placing them face down. They simultaneously reveal these actions one at a time, resolving them one after the other. Each player is trying to strike their opponent while avoiding a strike themselves. If a player takes a strike, they lose the game, but that player can permanently discard a teleport card to "Slip" out of the location, time-traveling to a time when they were not there. Eventually you or your opponent will run out of the ability to Slip, and then the victor will successfully knock that player out of the dimension and win the game. 

Slip Strike is normally a two-player game, but by combining the blue and orange editions — each of which has different art and asset cards — you can play with up to four in the same game. 

—description from the publisher 

Weight 1.33/5 

A Little More Info 

        A few things to add in this section. The box says 10-15 minutes to play which is pretty accurate. It does not take long to play at all. 

         For the basic game, each player has a hand of ten cards. Five are the teleport cards in which you can discard to “slip” when you are hit by a “strike.” Three are different weapons that you use for the attempted “strike.” The last two are directional movement cards (left and right). 

        Cards you play have a “cool down” period which are set aside for a round or two. Teleport cards that you play as an action have a 2-round cooldown period. Weapons you play are only out for 1-round. The two movement cards do not have a “cool down” and go right back into your hand. 

        All cards played or removed from the game are public knowledge so you and your opponent can attempt to use that knowledge to plan the next move to catch or avoid your foe. 

        Additionally there are asset cards that you can play with that add more to the game, though you don’t have to play with them to enjoy the game. 

What we like about the game 

        The biggest plus for us is that it is a fast game to play. You can get multiple games in on one session feeling accomplished with each game you play. 

        We do like that you can expand the game from a two player to a four player game using both editions of the game. By doing so you would only increase the game time by just a few minutes. 

        The last thing to highlight is that each round goes fast. We enjoyed the anticipation of the reveal of the cards because you opponent’s card could either help your plan or hinder it. We had a few great moments in our games where the cards we played fell right into each other hands. The game is full of cheers and jeers. 

What we don’t like about the game 

        We really couldn’t think of anything that we don’t like about the game so far. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

        For those who struggle with plotting out moves, this game may not be your cup of tea. It is a strategy-based game that does use critical thinking skills. 

        As for the rest of us who enjoy strategy card games… we find this game to be quick, fast, easy to learn and play, and actually really fun. The game being priced at twenty dollars of less for each edition is completely worth the value. But the ultimate question regarding the game is how quick can you “strike” without your opponent giving you the “slip.” 

        Slip Strike is one game that will give you a sense of being an agent trying to accomplish a goal. I would recommend picking a copy soon.