Punching Babies Preview: A Two Player Infant Brawl on Kickstarter

Babies are pulling on the boxing gloves and going to toe to toe, in this two player card game about babies throwing punches, right hooks, and jabs.

Currently on Kickstarter, Punching Babies certainly has an unusual theme, but how is the gameplay?

Gameplay

The deck is shuffled and each player is dealt ten cards. There are three different types of cards: attack, defense, and special. Each round, players take turns being the attacker. When you are the attacker, you may play cards, ending your turn as soon as you play an attack card. The defender may then play defense cards to try and counteract the attack and damage is then calculated. Defense cards may sometimes only block a partial amount of the damage inflicted, and while either player may use special cards after damage is calculated, they cannot be played in lieu of a defense card. Then the turn ends and the defender now becomes the attacker.

Players may not draw new cards, unless a card they played specifically instructs them to. Some special cards will put the opponents into a hug position which can affect some card abilities, and the hug only ends when certain cards are played.

The round continues as along as either player can continue to make a valid attack. If one player runs out of attack cards and can’t draw anymore, the other player continues to take their attack turns until they run out as well. Then the round ends, and the player who received the least damage wins the round.

Players decide which of three win conditions to play with: the best two out of three rounds, whoever has taken the least damage in ten rounds, or who is the first to receive a hundred points of damage.

Review

Punching Babies is a light card game, with an enjoyably silly theme, and fast gameplay that nicely captures the give and take of a fight. Strategy is light but enjoyable, as you consider what order to play your cards, try to draw out your opponent’s defense cards, and choose when to play your own.

There are plenty of opportunities to draw new cards, but few enough that rounds are still kept to a satisfying five to seven minutes. The ability to choose your win condition also helps you choose the right game length based on time or preference.

The prototype we were sent did not have the final artwork, but what was already there was fun, and really nicely captured the theme of babies boxing each other in a lighthearted fashion. The card names also tie into this theme nicely and enjoyably.

There’s nothing included in the game to help you track damage, so you just have to keep track with pad and pen. This does interrupt the flow of the game a little between each turn, but not too badly, and it does keep the game contained to a single deck of cards.

Light, fun, and fast, Punching Babies is an enjoyable little romp that’s easy to learn and play, the text on the cards are all self-explanatory, and the game’s flow is thoroughly enjoyable. If you are looking for a quick two-player card game, check it out on Kickstarter.

Pros: Players choose win condition, fast rounds, clearly written card text

Cons: Damage has to be tracked with pen and paper, unfinished artwork

Disclosure: this preview is based on our evaluation of an unpublished prototype of the game, which is subject to change prior to publication. While a modest payment was received to expedite the review process, our thoughts and opinions expressed here are honest and accurate.