BUTTERFLY
Designer: Stephen Glenn | Publisher: Rio Grande Games
In Butterfly, players all assume the role of Hudson the hedgehog, taking turns guiding him across the meadow, gathering up bugs with his trusty net, and scoring various sets at the end of the game. Whoever racks up the most valuable entomological collection is the winner.
Games begin by populating the main board with insect tiles and each player receiving a handy player aid. The numerous and lovingly illustrated tiles actually represent a more diverse fauna than the title suggests, with butterflies being joined by many others. The process of gathering up these varied cutesy critters – all printed on thick, sturdy cardstock – feels rewarding and tactile, with younger players taking particular joy in stacking up their matching sets. Thankfully, there’s enough strategic depth here to keep adults engaged too.
Almost Knizia-esque in its abstract elegance, Butterfly relies solely on sparse components and a refreshingly simple central mechanic. Each player’s turn will play out in the same manner, beginning with choosing a direction for Hudson to face before sending him off along a straight line. Whichever tile Hudson has come to rest upon is taken by the player and added to their collection.
Each type of creepy crawly scores uniquely, with some awarding points to only the highest or lowest valued tiles in players ‘collections, whilst the titular butterfly simply scores its printed value. While there’s enough fun to be had blindly bagging butterflies, it’s infinitely more satisfying taking the time to choose your catches more methodically. With a bit of sly planning, players can even meddle with their opponents by leaving Hudson in unfavourable spaces on the board.
There’s nothing groundbreaking here in terms of gameplay, theme, or aesthetic, in fact Butterfly falls into the camp of games boasting designs that seem to have been around forever. But that’s not necessarily to its detriment. This underlying sense of familiarity is comfortable. There’s no cumbersome new mechanics here, just a gameplay loop that feels logical at an almost unconscious level, making Butterfly a joy to teach, even to younger children.
CHAD WILKINSON