SNAP Review – Top Trumps Match

You know Anitra, sometimes you want to not play a heavy Euro; check out a little bit and play something a little bit more simple.

A four-in-a-row or five-in-a-row game is great for that; there’s definitely strategy there, but it’s just a lot simpler. A lot less going on.

Game

This is a SNAP review for Top Trumps Match, a two player game from the same company that brought us Top Trumps.

Top Trumps Match is a simple game for two players that feels a little bit like Connect 4 and a little like Battleship.

Art

There are a ton of versions of this game. We have here the classic DC Comics version – I am partial to Batman, myself – the heroes and villains look just like we’d expect. Classic. (That’s why it says “classic DC Comics”.)

The cubes are pretty satisfying to hold and to slide into place. I love that the game is completely self-contained! When you’re done playing, just put the cards back, click up both sides, and you’re done – it’s put away!

Mechanics

Open up the game board and take out the cards. Check the 25 cubes that are on the board – there should be no more than two similar cubes showing in the same row, column, or the two diagonals from corner to corner.

Then deal two cards to each player. The first player pushes out the top left corner. Then the second player takes that cube, turns it to any side they like, and pushes it into a different spot in the grid.

Players take turns in this fashion, each time pushing the available cube into a spot on their side, which pushes a cube out on their opponent’s side.

When a player gets five identical symbols in a row, it’s time to check the cards! If your match is the same as one of your cards, you get two points. If the five-in-a-row is not represented on either set of cards, you get one point.

But if it is the same as one of your opponent’s cards, they “steal” the match and they get a point instead.

Play until one person reaches five points (or however long you want).

Expectations

Anitra, I love DC. What did you expect from this game?

The first time I saw this game, it immediately grabbed me. It’s incredibly simple to understand – it’s a five-in-a-row game with a lot more back and forth between players.

Plus there’s a sturdy case and lots of cool themes to choose from – DC, Marvel, Harry Potter, Minions, Disney Princesses, Pixar, and even dinosaurs, farm animals, whatever.

The simplicity combined with the theme tells me this is a game almost any kid will enjoy.

I enjoy it, I’m not even a kid!

Surprises

Were there any surprises in Top Trumps Match?

There’s not a lot going on here, so there weren’t that many surprises. The one big change we made in playing was to actually look at our cards, rather than doing a reveal after the five-in-a-row was made.

According to the rules, you are not supposed to look at the cards, but this means that you can unwittingly make a match that the other player “steals” once the cards are revealed. Knowing what your own cards are allows slightly more strategy and just a tiny bit less luck.

We did find that our copy was a bit “sticky”, with some of the slots requiring a lot of pressure to push a new cube in. (And then once it goes, the other cube goes flying out the other side.) But I think as we play it more and more, this should be less of a problem.

Recommended?

Top Trumps Match is easy to understand, easy to play, and there’s room for a few variations on how to use the cards – whether you want more or less luck.

The case design makes it super easy to clean up – and it stays cleaned up once it’s put away.

They put the badge of what theme it is on the case, so if you have a couple of these, you’re not having to open them up and figure out which is which – smart!

I’d recommend Top Trumps Match for any family with younger kids – this is a game that kids as young as four years old could play with their friends or with their grandparents.

This isn’t a game that’s going to blow anybody away with its complexity or ingenuity, but for what we have here this is a great family game.

What are we going to rate this?

We’re going to rate Top Trumps Match 4 ½ cubes out of 5.

And that’s Top Trumps Match – in a SNAP!

Find it on Amazon or directly from Top Trumps USA.

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The Family Gamers received a copy of Top Trumps Match from Top Trumps USA for this review.

This post contains affiliate links, which do not change your price, but help support The Family Gamers.

SNAP review music is Avalanche, provided courtesy of You Bred Raptors?