Alright folks, gather ’round the table, because it’s time for my review of Simplicity. I’ve wrangled friends, spilled a drink or two (sorry, Greg), and played this game a bunch, just to bring you the honest scoop. If you want to know if this game fits your next game night, stay with me as I break it all down—the good, the meh, and the bits that made my cat try to eat the game pieces.
How It Plays
Setting up
Unfold the board and give each player their colored pieces. Shuffle the cards and deal three per player. Place the rest as a draw pile.
Gameplay
On your turn, play a card, then put a matching piece on the board. You can use special cards for a sneaky advantage, but so can everyone else. Draw a new card at the end of your turn. Turns whip around the table faster than my cat after catnip.
Winning the game
The first player to line up five of their pieces in a row—across, down, or diagonal—wins. If the cards run out first, the player with the most rows of three wins. It’s simple, right? That’s the name!
Want to know more? Read our extensive strategy guide for Simplicity.
Learning the Ropes: How Easy is Simplicity to Play?
First things first—and I say this as a serial instruction fumbler—the rule book for Simplicity doesn’t make you cry or curse. You know the kind, the ones that turn a fun game night into a three-hour event called Ruleapalooza. Simplicity does not do that. The rules fit on a page! If you can read a coffee menu, you can learn this game. I read them out loud in my best dramatic voice. My friends still make fun of me, but hey, we actually understood everything, so I win!
Set up takes less time than making instant noodles. You’re not dealing with endless tokens or 57 card types. You get a lovely board, a handful of pieces, and that’s about it. The game’s name isn’t just marketing fluff—it’s a fact. Simplicity lives up to its title. Anyone from my strategy-loving cousin to my friend Mark, who thinks Risk is a workout game, picked up the basics in one round. And you don’t have that annoying person hovering, explaining rules you already know—because everyone just… gets it.
If you want to teach this to a beginner, you’ll look like a tabletop wizard. None of those ‘wait, let me check the rules again’ moments. That said, hardcore strategists might gripe that it’s too light, but for families or mixed groups, the balance of simplicity and quick play is a dream. Speaking of dreams, wait until you hear about the game’s pieces—they’re almost too pretty to touch, but more on that next!
The Eye Candy Test: Are Simplicity’s Game Pieces Worth Staring At?
When I say Simplicity, you might picture something plain and boring—maybe an IKEA shelf with half the screws missing. But this game? Nope! Simplicity’s pieces are a true feast for the eyes. The wooden tokens feel smooth and weighty, like they belong in a much fancier game. The colors pop, but not in a way that makes you cringe or reach for sunglasses. My friend Angie, who cares about aesthetics more than she cares about winning, picked up a meeple and squealed (actual squeal!) after feeling its rounded edges. A Meeple that gets a squeal earns points in my book.
The box art goes for, well, simplicity—no dragons, aliens, or wild fonts. Just bold shapes and cheerful colors. It looks classy on my shelf without screaming for attention. The cards feel thick enough to survive the occasional juice spill. I mean, listen, we play hard. If a game can’t survive a soda incident, it’s not Jamie-proof. The symbols are big and clear—no squinting or running for reading glasses. I wish more games followed this mindset.
One nitpick: the insert inside the box is… meh. It’s just a cardboard divider. Nothing tragic, but don’t expect marvels if you’re a storage snob. And the scorepad is a bit thin—the paper feels like gum wrappers. Not a dealbreaker, just buy a small notepad and you’re golden.
Now, onto the real burning question: does Simplicity actually bring the fun, or will you use those beautiful pieces as fridge magnets? Let’s talk fun factor and replayability next!
How Fun is Simplicity, and Will You Want to Play It Again?
Okay, so after setting up Simplicity for the fourth time in a week, my friends started asking, “Can we play something else?” Don’t get me wrong—Simplicity is a fun little game. It’s just that the first few rounds are more exciting than the next ten. The game shines brightest when everyone is still figuring out the best moves and sneaky plays. Once the group cracks the code, though, things can start to feel a bit samey.
I had a blast teaching Simplicity to my board game group. My buddy Tim got so into it, he started narrating his moves like a sports announcer. That made the game a lot more entertaining, if only because his epic fails were legendary. The game’s quick turns and friendly competition keep everyone engaged, and nobody dares look at their phone. Score for Simplicity!
Replayability? It’s decent. While Simplicity’s rules open the door for different strategies, after a handful of plays you might find yourself repeating the same tactics. There aren’t special powers or wild twists to mix things up. I’d say Simplicity is at its best as a filler game—a warmup before the main board gaming event or a great choice for playing with folks who don’t like complicated stuff.
But hold your horses—before you buy, you have to know: does Simplicity let luck ruin your plans, or will strategy win out? I’m about to spill the beans on that in the next section!
Luck vs. Skill: The Simplicity Showdown
Okay, so let’s lay the cards (or, well, tiles) on the table. I’ve played Simplicity with my regular group and also made my poor cousin join in after lunch (sorry, Dave). Strategy lovers, you’ll be happy: Simplicity does not treat you like a background extra in a disaster movie. You actually decide what happens! Choices matter. Every turn you think, “Should I grab this tile, or will that make Sandra win again?” It’s like chess, but way less time staring at the ceiling.
But hey, there is a sprinkle of luck. You draw tiles randomly at the start of each round. I once pulled three blue tiles in a row and felt like I’d won the lottery. Turns out, being lucky only works some of the time because, sooner or later, you have to make your own path. There’s no shenanigans where someone wins just because they had a lucky streak. If someone wins, it’s because they made the right moves, not because the universe said so. That makes Simplicity feel pretty darn fair.
The balance is good enough that kids and grownups stay engaged. Newbies have a real shot, but old hands can show off, too. If you hate games where you lose because the dice just hate you, Simplicity is your friend. Sure, it’s not a brain-buster, but it won’t roll you over with luck either.
So, do I recommend Simplicity? For folks who like fair fights and simple thrills—absolutely. As long as you don’t mind a pinch of luck, this one is worth your table space.
Conclusion
So that’s a wrap on my Simplicity review! I had a blast teaching this one to my friends. We all picked up the rules in under five minutes, which left more time for snacks and squabbling over who gets the blue pieces (always a hot topic). The game pieces look sharp, and the board is tidy—nothing to complain about, except maybe the insert, which is about as exciting as dry toast.
Gameplay feels fair and rewards good planning. Luck barely pokes its head in, which I love. The only downside? It might get a bit samey after too many plays, but as a quick filler or for newbies, Simplicity does the job.
If you like clever moves more than wild dice rolls, this is a solid pick. That’s my honest take—now if you’ll excuse me, my friends want a rematch (the blue pieces are at stake again).
