Oh My Pigeons!

Oh My Pigeons! turns these sidewalk strutters into the ultimate flocking challenge as players compete to gather a full roost of birds. But be warned—these birds aren’t above a little chaos, and you might just find your perfectly planned strategy ruffled by some unexpected pigeon antics!

Ravensburger publishes Oh My Pigeons!, a party game for 2-5 players, with comically cute art by Alena Istif.

Setup

Give each player a bench. In a two-player game, use the benches with the two-finger icon. Each player starts with three pigeons on their bench, while the rest go in the middle of the table forming the flock. Shuffle the deck and deal three cards to each player. The player who last saw a pigeon goes first, with turns proceeding clockwise.

Gameplay

On your turn you play a card from your hand, follow its instructions, and discard it. Cards will do things like: taking pigeons from the flock; stealing pigeons from an opponent’s bench; forcing others to return their pigeons to the flock; and swapping benches with other players. If you’re lucky enough to have two cards with hearts on them, both can be played together on your turn!

There are two very powerful cards to note, Oh My Pigeons and Non.

When you play the Oh My Pigeons card, grab the die, roll it, and apply the effect shown:

• Bread 3 – Take three pigeons from the flock, add to your bench.
• Bread 5 – Take five pigeons from the flock, add to your bench.
• Robber 2 – Take a total of two pigeons from other players any way you choose.
• Robber 4- Take a total of four pigeons from other players any way you choose.
• Take cover (poo splat) – Place the die near your own bench and flick it towards another bench! Any pigeons knocked off benches are returned to the flock.

Players can play the Non card anytime, even during another player’s turn. Use Non to cancel an opponent’s action. Prevent them from taking pigeons or stop them from flicking poo after a die roll!

Once you’ve played your card(s) and followed the instructions, draw back up to three cards. Play passes to the next player in clockwise order.

End Game

Oh My Pigeons! immediately ends as soon as a player fills all the spots on their bench with pigeons. If no players have filled their benches when someone draws the last card, everyone takes one final turn to collect pigeons. Then whoever has the most pigeons wins!

Impressions

I’ll be the first to admit, party games aren’t usually my thing. Back in the day, I played games like Things and other “pick the most outlandish answer” games at parties, but I’d lose interest after a couple of rounds. They never seemed to end fast enough for me. Party games rarely keep me engaged. However, like anything in life, there are always exceptions. I’ve enjoyed a few, like Danger The Game, Bluffaneer, and Who’s The G.O.A.T.. It all comes down to personality and preference—party games just don’t always click with me.

At first, I assumed Oh My Pigeons! would be another one-and-done party game. It’s a simple game at its core, where players race to lure the pigeon meeples onto their bench. But, as I always tell my kids—keep an open mind and try things at least once. (You can’t always judge a pigeon by its feathers, right?)

One game with my kids hooked me instantly. Although marketed as a party game, Oh My Pigeons! offers plenty of strategy. Knowing when to play certain cards and when to hold them is key. Saving the Let’s Get This Bread card to grab three pigeons or timing a powerful two-card heart combo can seal your victory. Take-that cards also help thwart other’s plans by forcing opponents to lose pigeons from their bench.

Rolling the die with the Oh My Pigeons! card feels satisfying, and the randomness never works against you—you’ll either gain pigeons or take them from others. My kids especially loved the “Take Cover” side, which lets you flick the die to knock pigeons off an opponent’s bench. It led to some hilarious moments at the table!

Flocking Fun For Families?

I definitely recommend Oh My Pigeons! for families who enjoy light, accessible games. I brought it to a game night with my folks, and my dad immediately instantly got into it. He kept asking to play multiple times with my 11-year-old. He especially loved flicking the die and swapping benches to mess with his grandson, who was in the lead.

Oh My Pigeons! delivers plenty of take-that moments as players actively remove pigeons from each other’s benches. However, players can always strike back on their next turn. Expect the group to target whoever is in the lead!

I appreciated that no cards allow stealing and players are never forced to discard cards. The game keeps moving and always allows players a chance to build their flocks, turn by turn.

Oh My Pigeons! is fun, fast, and doesn’t overstay its welcome. Some of our games lasted just two rounds with a bit of card luck. It’s the kind of game kids can pull out when their friends come over, or easily play with siblings without an adult.

Ready to get your flock on? Jump off your perch and pick up a copy of Oh My Pigeons! from Ravensburger, Amazon, or your friendly local game store.

---

The Family Gamers received a copy Oh My Pigeons! from Ravensburger for this review.

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