Portal The Uncooperative Board Game

This was a great, chaotic boardgame that requires a lot of thought to play well. I won't go into the rules, since I think the product description explains them fairly well, but I'll focus on what I think makes the game work so well: you need to think ahead. Any one player can attempt to end the game at any point by trying to sacrifice all their test subjects, but the process of doing so often gives opponents the chance to take the lead by earning more pieces of cake. If you're going for the win, you need to set yourself up for several successful turns. But the rapidly changing gameboard means that you need to be able to anticipate the moves the other players will do, to stop them from winning or to set yourself up to win. Will they be collecting their own cake? What Aperture cards can/will they play? Which test chambers will they recycle? It truly is a dynamic experience among the players. The first three games we played (all 4-player games) went as follows: 1) 20 Minutes. We learned the rules, read the cards, and then everyone started killing each others' test subjects like maniacs and generally not making much progress. I ended the game the first chance I had and won with 2 pieces of cake (out of 8 possible per player). No cake incinerated. 2) 15 minutes. Winner had 3 pieces of cake, took advantage of an opening to end the game very quickly. The opening came from how other players had selected test chambers to recycle - it gave them a short-term advantage, but ultimately let him recycle a test chamber with all his guys in it and end the game. One piece of cake incinerated, but it was by an Aperture card, not by recycling test chambers. 3) 80 minutes, and I only ended it because I had to go to bed. All four of us finally understood that, every turn, you needed to watch your opponents and see what their path to victory was, and then try to stop it. Twice, I had a significant lead, but was blocked from killing my subjects and ending the game. Eventually, 7 of my cake pieces had been dumped in the incinerator, so it was nearly impossible for me to win. Winner had 3 pieces of cake. There were 16 pieces of cake in the incinerator (half of all the cake pieces the game came with). I was the one who ended the game, but I did not need to - had I been so inclined, I could have begun working against the leading player, but it would have dragged the game out even longer. Another time, I probably would have done so. But not then. As I said above, once we realized that we had to actively monitor the other players' strategies, the game became so much deeper. The first two games were like the 4-move checkmate in Chess; if your opponent isn't watching, you can quickly win. But if they are paying attention, you need to utilize a more complex strategy. A ton of replayability, in my mind. The randomized board prevents common openings, and then changes shape to produce some really bizarre dynamics. I've seen some complaints that there should have been more Aperture/Character cards, but I think it's just the perfect amount, and I will address that with some specifics. There are enough that you will never run out (each player can only have 3 at a time), and their uses are very situational and they often interplay with one another. It's good that there are multiple copies of the 8 different Aperture cards, since you will want to be doing the same thing more than once. There's a good amount of Character cards, as well - some of them are great effects regardless, and some will only be useful in certain situations. There can be a fairly quick cycling, so it's possible to see the same Character come up again later in the game. For both kinds of cards, the complexity comes from interactions with other cards, and the cards available will affect the strategies of you and your opponents. An Aperture card that lets you move one test subject to an adjacent chamber plays very differently if a Character lets you freely move a Portal (giving you a straight shot to a test chamber you're about to recycle), if a Character says you cannot split groups of test subjects (since that card will effectively bypass the restriction), if you have an Aperture card that can move the test-subject-killing Turret (you thought your guy was at a safe distance? Think again!), or if you are trying to carry another player's cake away from the safe end of the board (I can take your cake and run twice as fast as you!). The Companion Cube is another good example - when you place it in a test chamber, no one gets rewards for that chamber. Usually, you place it to stop an opponent from getting rewards, but I would use it on myself to keep from accumulating test subjects when I was trying to end the game. After that glowing review, I would like to issue a few words of warning. First, the similarities to the video game are solely aesthetic. If you are looking for unique puzzles, an engaging story, or eccentric characters, this is not for you. As a board game, it is awesome, but it does not capture the experience of playing Portal (and it's not supposed to). Second, there is a ton of Kingmaking potential, so if that's a recurring problem in your group, you might also want to stay away from this game. My gaming group is comfortable with everyone else "teaming up" on the winner, but I know a lot of people would consider that a point against the game.

Quick take: Don't worry, it's good. A worthy use of the award-winning video game's IP, Portal: the Uncooperative Cake Acquisition Game is very good. For fans of the Portal series (like me), it's great. It would also be fun without the Portal universe supporting it, which certainly is the mark of a great licensed game. The videogame was groundbreaking; the boardgame isn't quite that but the core gameplay mechanics are still unique and interesting, Positives The game, at its simplest, works like this: use your Test Subjects to gain Cake and/or more Test Subjects. Once you have more Cake on the board than your opponents, you will try to end the game by getting rid of all of your own or one opponents' Test Subjects. However, if you're too slow at doing this, you leave your opponents with an opening to add Cake to the board with their own (dwindling) Test Subjects and turn the tables by taking advantage of your "help." This balancing act makes for a fascinating game. The board itself is also unique. It is made up of fifteen interlocking tiles that create the Laboratory. Familiar Portal staples such as Test Subjects, Cake, a Turret, a Companion Cube, and portal tokens will be moved around on these tiles. Every turn, each player is required to choose a tile on the "old end" of the Laboratory to activate. The tile will give bonuses to Test Subjects on the tile and then flip over to the "new end" of the Laboratory, creating a constantly changing and recycling board. It's the good kind of chaotic, especially with three or four players. The Aperture cards that players will use throughout the game are also a great addition. They can be quite powerful, but they are easy to obtain so other players aren't at a disadvantage. The cards are especially interesting because the other side of each card has a unique character from the Portal universe which alters the game for all players. So, you'll play one of Aperture cards that allows you to destroy a Test Subject, but which in turn activates "Chell." Chell allows the next player to freely move a Portal token to any Test Chamber, potentially a very powerful ability. More often than not, every decision in the game has these cause/effect scenarios and the board often changes quickly and dramatically. I would be remiss to mention the inclusion of the Portal universe. The miniature Test Subjects, miniature Companion Cube, and miniature Turret match the look and feel from the videogame, and the colored cake pieces are a cool touch. The Aperture cards are interesting and thematic. The sardonic humor of the original game comes through even in the very premise of this game: doing whatever you can to gain Cake and often sacrificing your own Test Subjects in the process. The namesake portal tokens for jumping around the board are there but aren't the focal point. Which is fine. Negatives The concept of the interlocking tiles and the constantly recycling game board is a good enough concept to base a game on. However, it isn't perfectly accomplished. The pieces are smaller than Catan tiles, with additional tabs that are meant to lock into each other so that the board can be easily shifted on the table. Some tabs fit, but many others don't or they fit too well and make it difficult to pull the tile up. This isn't a game breaker but it's something you'll quickly notice as you play. From a thematic perspective, GLaDOS doesn't really play any kind of role, which is a little disappointing since the Companion Cube, Turret, Cake, Test Subjects, and portals are used throughout in gameplay. She doesn't even have her own Aperture card. Still, a minor qualm. Final Thoughts When I heard that Valve was involved with developing a Portal boardgame, I knew that we would have to check it out. I'm happy to relay that it's a lot of fun. With two players it's quite strategic, though can sometimes trigger long thinking turns for AP prone players. Three and four player games are more chaotic and tactical, with the game board changing dramatically by the time it gets back to you for your turn. There is a ton of player interaction, both direct and indirect. It's a special kind of fun to grab your opponent's Cake and march through a portal, activating a test chamber and incinerating their Cake piece in the process. You'll make constant risk/reward decisions like this, sometimes teetering on the brink of being eliminated until you have enough Cake to win the game by intentionally walking your Test Subject into a Turret. Games will usually end quickly and abruptly like this. Overall, the game is one of the more unique ones that we've played. Portal fans or those who like puzzle-type games with a lot of player interaction will find a lot to like here. Note: reviews of this game and others, including gameplay descriptions, more bad puns, and a lot more pictures available at playbegins.com

Fun and easy to learn game. This is a great filler game. The components are well illustrated and of sturdy construction. One of the unique mechanics of the game is that the board tiles interlock and get moved around during play. Unfortunately, the tiles are not cut with precision making some of them difficult to assemble and disassemble. Since this is a fundamental aspect of the game I deducted a point for this lack of attention to an important detail. Other than that, the gameplay is enjoyable and the Portal theme can be seen throughout. My daughter was disappointed that this was not a puzzle solving game like the original video game, but overall still had fun bringing about the demise of test subjects, firing off portal guns, launching from faith plates, activatng turrets and incinerating cake.

This is a very well designed board game. The pieces are extremely well made, though one or two pieces has a small chip of paint missing. The Companion Cube and turret are extremely well detailed and look exactly as they do in the game. The game is very easy to learn (even for a bunch of drunk people when we played it) and the turns are quick. The strategy is also top-notch since players can find ingenious ways to win the game or they can do it slow and steady to the end, meaning the game rounds play much different from person to person. Only downside: the cardboard game pieces (while extremely well detailed) are a little hard to fit together. Some are extremely snug to the point that you have to pry them out with two hands and some slide in with no effort at all. Might need a small razor knife job on the pegs to keep from knocking over the whole board when "recycling" pieces during your turn. Also: not sure if anyone else got this, but it seems like the box was designed to look like it is already weathered? The edges of the piece separation section have some painted-on scratches and weathering on the edges, which would fit the narrative of the game and don't seem to be unintentional weathering like you would get from a used copy. It made me really mad for a second, then we noticed it looked intentional.

My family enjoys gaming: board games, card games, and video games - Portal: The Uncooperative Cake Acquisition Game brings all three of those together, along with the lore and quirky humor that mark the beloved Portal video game series. This is most certainly a game of strategy, although circumstances change rapidly and you will have to adjust your plans often if you really want that cake (which isn't a lie in this game, funny enough - or maybe it is to the test subjects who don't get to eat any...) The board is made up of test chamber tiles, and my only complaint is that they are cut like puzzle pieces that make them difficult to remove and attach. It would have been more sensible to make them smooth-sided (like Catan hexes). But no matter, as long as you are careful not to disrupt the board when removing the tiles it doesn't detract from the gameplay. Important: you can play more than one card. At first we thought that you could only play one a turn and this made things verrry slow. When played correctly, and depending on how good the players are and how the cards are played, a game can last anywhere from 15 minutes to... our record of two hours. It honestly reminds me of a methodical game of chess where every move counts... and sometimes it seems like a turn timer would be a good idea (except on my turns, of course ;) All in all, if you enjoy strategy I highly recommend this game - and hopefully, in contrast to what the box description tells you, you will still be friends with your opponents afterwards and be able to appreciate their ruthless efficiency in destroying both yours and their own test subjects all for a single slice of cake...

As a fan of the video game and a fan of board games in general, I figured this would be a fun purchase. My fiancee sort of hated it and was frustrated by the somewhat confusing rules. We had to watch some playthroughs. I thought the gameplay was interesting and had potential. The artwork on the box was great - perfectly in line with the aesthetic of the video game. Some of the game pieces are quality - other parts to the game - specifically the board - left me scratching my head. Being that the basic game mechanic is to constantly relocate pieces of the game board, they should have been better than pressed cardboard. The board pieces are a bit ill-fitting, so it's often awkward moving them around. I would have preferred they skimped a little on the companion cube and turret and put more money into the board. Is this worth purchasing? I mean, I've played through every half life and third party add-on, I've played through both portals, and I'll buy anything Valve makes. I guess that makes me the target audience for this game, and I was just sort of "meh" on it. Even ignoring the issues with the game components, it's not the most fun ever, and it's not the easiest game to pick up quickly. That said, it's playable and collectable. The box is fun - you like boxes, don't you?

First time trying to play the game with family was not much fun. I did read the instructions before hand but needed to constantly go back to them. Second time the game got better and once you know the rules by heart it is a very fun and entertaining game even for those who don't know the rules.

I bought this on a lark, and wanted to play it with people ever since. i'm the only person of teh group who knows about the great history of Portal. You don't need it to play the game, but it helps to get some of the jokes more than the face value of why Wheatly's bonus does what it does, etc. This is a cut your friends throats gamed disguised as a board game with cute characters. It took us a bit to figure out the mechanic for evil but once you do, the game is hilariously fun. Once you understand the test subjects usage it becomes an almost breakneck pacing while being super slow. You've got to keep the cake to the right and the subjects to the left all while killing the subjects gets you more cake but if you kill off your test subjects uh oh game over and oh no you didn't have enough cake. Just a lot of fun, and no game is the same. Are you still there?