Champions! Review
Champions! offers a unique twist on the party game genre, immersing players in a whirlwind of crazy tournament-style duels where characters chosen by the players battle it out for the coveted title of Champion! The game’s play style revolves around predicting which of the eight candidates will emerge victorious through three intense rounds of play, making it an engaging and unpredictable experience for all involved.
The gameplay is fast-paced, dynamic, and easy to pick up with little to no learning curve. Each round presents new matchups and prompts for players to pit the characters against, providing endless fun and laughs. As players vote for their favorite champions and hope for a perfect bracket, the game captures the excitement and tension of a high-stakes tournament, keeping everyone on the edge of their seats until the final vote is cast.
The game begins with each player taking some blank character cards and a sheet full of random characters and, using the dry-erase marker provided, writing in names of any of the characters they see on the card. After placing the cards face down, the prompts are then shuffled and laid down in a tournament-bracket style as per the picture below. Character cards are then placed in front of the prompts and flipped face up to reveal the names that have been written in. After each player fills their prediction bracket, the voting commences!
One of the standout features of “Champions!” is its interactive and social gameplay. With players actively participating in the voting process throughout each round, the game fosters lively discussions and playful banter, creating a vibrant and immersive gaming experience. Whether you’re trying to convince someone to change their vote or quietly matching every majority vote, “Champions!” encourages players to get into the minds of their friends and family to pick the best option. The large slate of available characters and prompts ensures that no two games are ever alike.
Points are then distributed based on how many correct predictions each player had, with extra points being awarded to anyone who was able to correctly guess the tournament Champion! Honestly, this is one party game that will remain on my top shelf for a long time to come as it is easy to learn, encourages lively banter between players (making it a great ice breaker!) and is endlessly replayable given the vast combination options of duel prompts and participating characters!
Champions! is available at most major retailers and should be available wherever you prefer to get your party/board games!