If you are hunting for a game where brains beat luck every time, welcome to my review! Amazons showed up at game night last month, looking innocent. Turns out, it’s like chess’s slightly wilder cousin who doesn’t leave till every snack is gone. In this review, I spill the beans on play time, component quality, replay value, and whether you’ll lose any friends—spoiler: maybe, if they block you in too many corners.
How It Plays
Setting up
Start by placing the board in the middle, making sure everyone can see. Each player takes four Amazon pieces in their color. Put them on the marked starting spots. Make sure the stack of arrow tokens is close because you’ll need ‘em fast!
Gameplay
On your turn, first move one Amazon piece any number of spaces in a straight line (like a chess queen—she’s fancy). Then shoot an arrow from that Amazon, going any direction in a straight line from where she landed. Place the arrow token where it stops—the spot is now blocked! This repeats, with each player moving and shooting, slowly turning the board into a wild maze of arrows.
Winning the game
Play until no one can move any of their Amazons. Then, count how many spaces each player can still reach. Whoever controls the most territory wins! You can try to block your friends off, but they’re probably plotting revenge right back at you.
Want to know more? Read our extensive strategy guide for Amazons.
Strategic Depth and Cunning Choices in Amazons
When it comes to games that make your brain work overtime, Amazons is right up there with chess and trying to find a matching sock in my laundry pile. The game looks simple at first — move an Amazon (not the delivery kind), then shoot an arrow to block spaces. But wow, underneath that simplicity, your choices matter every single turn. My friend Kyle tried to breeze through his moves once and got trapped so bad he had to go make us snacks until the next round.
Every turn in Amazons is like a mini puzzle. Where you move doesn’t just affect you, but it can make your friends (or enemies, after this game…) squirm in their seats. Think a few moves ahead, and you can lock folks out of huge areas. Miss a threat, and you might as well have handed over your crown… if this game had kings, or crowns, or even a snack mascot (which it does not, very sad).
I love that you can get better at Amazons with practice. You can play bold and aggressive, blocking off land fast, or you can stay defensive and wait for others to trip over their own arrows. But no matter what, every decision feels important. There’s no dice, no cards, and no excuses when you get boxed in — just your own choices. It’s all about who can trick, trap, and plan better. Maybe that’s why my friends are now suspicious whenever I suggest another game night…
So, if you want a game where your brain might start to sweat from all the strategizing, Amazons delivers. But how long does all this plotting take, and will you want to play again? Find out in the next section, where game length and replay value get their time to shine!
How Long Will Amazons Keep You Glued to the Table?
If you’ve got a pot of tea brewing and a free evening ahead, Amazons could be the perfect fit. When I played it with my group (three caffeine-loaded friends and one cat that kept stealing the arrows), the game usually ran between 30 to 50 minutes. The length depends on how much time you spend plotting that perfect move. Some rounds zipped by, while others had us staring at the board, scratching our heads, and pretending we were great tacticians. The best part? There’s little downtime. Even when it’s not your turn, you’ll want to watch what the others are doing so you don’t get boxed in, which happened to me once and, yes, I’m still bitter.
The replay value is where Amazons surprised me most (other than my friend’s uncanny ability to block every path I wanted). The game might look simple at first, but the board changes every match. Toss in different player counts and you’ve got enough variety to keep things fresh longer than my last attempt at sourdough. And with zero luck, it’s all about how sharp you stay each round. The more I play, the better I get, but so do my friends—so the challenge never flatlines. Still, if you only like games with evolving rules or unlockable abilities, Amazons won’t scratch that itch. But if you enjoy working out new tactics every game, you’ll keep coming back.
Next up: get ready, because we’re about to talk about component quality and board design, and yes, I have strong opinions about arrow tokens!
Component Quality and Board Design in Amazons: Looks Matter Too!
Now, let’s talk about how Amazons looks and feels on the table. I promise this isn’t just because I lost last game and knocked the pieces over in a fit of rage. When you first open the Amazons box, you’ll notice the board is huge. It’s not the kind of board you can sneak onto a crowded café table unless you want to knock someone’s latte into next week.
The board itself is usually sturdy, with clear lines that almost scream at you to make a clever move. I do wish the artwork was a bit snazzier. It’s a little plain, but on the plus side, you won’t get distracted counting sheep in the corner of the board. Component quality depends on the edition—wooden pieces feel pretty solid and satisfying, though occasionally I get a queen with a lopsided crown. It adds charm, or at least that’s what I keep telling myself.
One handy bonus: the arrow markers. They’re simple but easy to spot, and won’t roll away under the couch. (Looking at you, tiny dice from every other game ever.) Best of all, setup and clean-up are quick, so you won’t waste precious gaming time arranging bits or sorting a rainbow of tokens.
While Amazons won’t win a beauty contest against the flashiest modern games, its clear design keeps you focused on the action. Next up, let’s see if this game gets hearts racing—or friendships ending—when we talk about player interaction and competition level!
Sharpen Your Spears: Player Interaction and Competition in Amazons
Let’s talk about the real reason I keep coming back to Amazons: the drama you get when you play with real, living humans. If you think this is a polite game where you quietly move your pieces and sip tea – oh, friend, you are in for a shock. Amazons is a battle of wits, and I have seen more than one friendship wobble as the board fills up.
Every move in Amazons feels like a tiny declaration of war. You’re not just finding your own path to victory; you’re blocking your opponents, walling them off, and gleefully watching their options shrink. I’ve watched Tony, probably the most patient saint I know, go from zen to wild-eyed in eight moves flat when his corner got boxed in. You need to pay attention to everyone—not just your spot—because a careless turn can hand the game to someone else.
What really stands out is how Amazons keeps everyone engaged the whole time. You can’t check your phone or start daydreaming about pizza, because if you snooze, your kingdom is toast. There is almost no luck here, it’s pure head-to-head tactics. The competition gets fierce, but in the best way: after the dust settles, you’ll be itching for a rematch and maybe a peace treaty.
So do I recommend Amazons? Absolutely, yes—if you like games where brains beat dice, and you don’t mind a bit of friendly rivalry at your table. Just don’t blame me if your game night turns into a battlefield.
Conclusion
Amazons packs a sneaky punch—no dice, no luck, just pure cut-throat strategy. The game length feels just right, not too long to drag but long enough to plot your sneaky moves. Each time I’ve played, the board turned into a battlefield, and everyone at the table was either grinning or groaning by the end. Component quality is solid, and the rules are easy to teach once you see the first round. Player interaction is ruthless—you’ll block, trap, and frustrate your friends like it’s your job. Replay value’s sky-high; every match gives you something new. It’s not for people who want light, breezy games or forgiving mechanics, but if you like serious but fun strategy, you’ll want this on your shelf. That’s a wrap on my review—grab Amazons if you want brains and backstabbing in one box!
