Pixies Card Game Review

The little card games that Bombyx publishes are fantastic. The big one that folks know all about is Sea Salt and Pepper (also released by Pandasaurus Games in other regions) but I recently had the chance to play Pixies, sent over to us by Canadian distributor Ilo.

This little card game is easy to take here, there, and everywhere, and is simple to learn mechanics. Yet, there is a decent amount of depth and decision making that makes this an instant hit! Let’s take a look!

In Pixies, players will be playing numbered cards into a 3×3 grid, beginning with number one in the top left hand corner, and number nine in the bottom right hand corner. While rules vary by player count, in most situations the starting players will reveal cards from the central stack equal to the number of players. Then, starting with that person and moving clockwise around the table, players will select one card from the middle group of faceup cards to add to their 3×3 grid.

Three things can happen when a card is selected:

1. If it is the first card of that number drawn, it is simply placed face up in the appropriate numbered slot.
2. If it is the second card of that number drawn, and there is no card face down underneath the similar number in the player area, the player who draws the card looks at the two cards, chooses one card to put face down and the other card to be placed face up on top.
3. If a card is drawn and there is already a face up and face down card of that number, the drawn card is placed facedown in an empty space

The round ends when at least one player has put something into every spot in their 3×3 grid, after which scoring for the round happens. Players score points for having a specific symbol visible on cards, lose points for ‘X’ on cards, gain points equal to the printed number on the card if there is a face down card underneath, and earn points for their largest colour zone. The most points after three rounds end.

Learning and playing Pixies took us less than 15 minutes, which is fantastic for a little card game like this. Sea Salt and Pepper is a much more difficult game to understand and comprehend, so if you had no issue with that, you will definitely have no issue with this. I would argue that Pixies is a great game for all gamers, but most definitely a game that can easily be introduced to individuals who don’t play a ton of games.

There is a lot of strategic depth here too, more than you would think. You will constantly be looking at the 3×3 grids of other players to see if taking a card would be equally as good for you as it would be bad for others. Manipulating the group of face-up cards, even for a temporary loss to yourself, could be beneficial down the road, especially if you force a player to take a card with 5 or 6 ‘X’ marks on it!

Honestly, Pixies is one of the best quick games I’ve played yet this year, and it is one that will stay in our collection for a long time. If you are looking for quick little card games that pack a pretty good punch, I cannot recommend Pixies enough!