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Abstract Academy

10.00€

Out of stock

Meeple on Board Rating

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Board Game Geek Reviews


  1. 7.5 out of 10

    I received a copy of this game for review in February 2022. Since I play 90% of my games at two players, I'm always looking for more options that are two player exclusive. While this can be either 2 or 4 players, we played it at 2. Any time we see something from Flatout Games, our interest is always piqued. This was a solid game from this design team that ramped up over several rounds. Takes up more space on the table than the small box size may indicate/seem, and with red, blue, yellow being the primary colors used, I'm hoping this is color-blind friendly. The game itself is also language independent, which I'm always looking for when I recommend games for folks at the library.

  2. 8 out of 10

    We played the game with many different type of people. Different age, different nationality, different gender... all of them enjoyed pretty much. Short pretty good game even for people, which are not fans of abstract games.

  3. 7 out of 10

    tldr: a good 2 or 4 player game. Quick and interesting decisions. Mild take-that for a 2 player game. In abstract academy you and another player (or you and 3 others in a 4 player game) are creating a 4x4 grid of cards, creating a shared canvas. The cards each have 4 quadrants filled with colors. Each round you will be competing over shared objectives, trying to arrange the colors in certain configurations. Whichever player better completes the objectives earns the card and associated points. There is no predesigned outline for the grid, so the first card laid could end up on your “home” row, in the middle of the grid, or on your opponents home row. This dynamic is by far my favorite aspect of the game. If I lay a “bad” card, my opponent could lay the cards in such a way that it gets pushed to my half of the canvas. You will score for the two rows closest to you, and your opponent for the rows closest to them. This game that fits perfectly into its category and weight. It doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. The turns are simple, take a card and lay a card, but the decisions are fun of where to lay the cards so your half of the canvas meets the objectives better than your opponents. And you can lay on the opponents half of the canvas, so there is a bit of take-that, but there are rules to stop you from being too mean, so generally you’re trying to help yourself not hurt your opponent. As others mentioned, the box leaves something to be desired. It is annoying to put the cards away, but it’s cheap and accessible… so I’ll take that trade off. I worry a little about replay value, but after 4 plays I’ve still had fun each round. There is some strategizing but also a decent bit of luck - depending on the luck of the draw you might know you’re going to lose, but that is the exception not the rule. All in all a good game. Not my top 2 player game, but a good game to introduce to newer players to the hobby or a quick intro to game night.

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At the Abstract Academy, competition is fierce. You and your fellow art students vie for top marks with professors while trying to put your own spin on each assignment. The twist? Art school really broke the bank, so you must share a canvas with your rival classmates!

Abstract Academy is played over three rounds by either two or four players, with the players completing a new canvas each round. At the start of the game, you lay out 2-3 scoring cards for each round, so you all know what you’re trying to achieve to score. Additionally, at the start of each round, each player receives an inspiration card that shows a pattern they’re trying to create on the canvas.

In the two-player game, players take turns playing canvas cards into a shared 4×4 play area, and in the four-player game, they play in a shared 5×5 area. Canvas cards are divided into quadrants, and each quadrant is colored yellow, red, or blue. The canvas grows organically as you all play cards, and the edges aren’t fixed until you have four (or five) cards in a row or column. The edge of the canvas closest to you is your home row, and once the canvas is locked in size, no one else can play in your home row (unless all other spaces are filled).

Once the canvas is filled, the two rows closest to you form your scoring zone. If the color patterns in your zone complete a scoring card better than the patterns in anyone else’s zone, then you claim the scoring card. Additionally, if you’ve created the right pattern in your scoring zone, you can score your inspiration card. Whoever has the most points after three rounds is the star pupil of Abstract Academy and wins!

Ages

8+
Players

2 Players, 3 Players, 4 Players
Play Time

20m – 40m
Designer

Molly Johnson, Robert Melvin, Shawn Stankewich
Mechanics

End Game Bonuses, Grid Coverage, Score-and-Reset Game, Pattern Building, Set Collection
Theme

Abstract Strategy, Card Game
Publisher

Crafty Games
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