- Publisher : Iello
- Designer(s) : Richard Garfield, Takashi Ishida
- Artist(s) : Angela Kirkwood
- Players : 2–6
- Playing time : 30 Min
- Weight BGG : 1.15
What's this?
Magical Athlete is a frantic and delightfully chaotic racing game where the traditional dice roll is completely turned upside down by the asymmetrical and wacky powers of 36 unique athletes
How do you play?
Course of a race
- Designation of the first player : each player rolls the die, the highest score starts.
- Athlete reveal : Each player chooses a card from their hand and reveals it simultaneously with the others. An athlete can only be used once per game—it’s best to save your best athletes for later races, which are worth more points.
- Game turn : In their turn, each player rolls the die and moves their pawn the indicated number of spaces (main movement). Powers are triggered according to their conditions, in this order of priority: spaces → active player → other players (clockwise) .
- Race ends : as soon as the second athlete crosses the finish line, the race stops immediately. The first-place finisher wins a Gold Trophy, the second-place finisher a Silver Medal.
Key concepts to remember
- To stumble : an athlete who stumbles finishes their movement but skips their next main movement.
- Overtaking : occurs only if an athlete starts their movement behind another and finishes in front of them.
- Special spaces (Galler track): Star (bronze token), Arrow (forced movement), WHOOPS! (trip).
Between races
- Remove used cards and tokens.
- Flip the board over to alternate between the Pépère and Galère tracks (2 races on each track by default, adjustable).
- Reveal a new athlete each; the last one from the previous race starts.
End of game
After 4 races, the player with the most accumulated points (Gold + Silver + Bronze) wins. In case of a tie, everyone celebrates together!
Is it good?
Magical Athlete
is the kind of game that prioritizes immediate fun. Accessible, quick to learn, and decidedly chaotic, its objective is simple: to create improbable situations where athletes’ powers chain together, transforming a perfectly controlled race into a complete disaster. And that’s precisely what makes it so charming.
Don’t expect a deeply strategic or perfectly balanced racing game here. Competitive Athletes takes the basics of Snakes and Ladders and Ladders and blows them apart with constant interaction between players. Each character has a unique power: teleporting an opponent, tripping them, copying an ability, moving forward for free, or triggering completely crazy chain reactions. Sometimes, a single roll of the dice is all it takes to turn the race around. The combinations are numerous and make every game different.
The only real strategic layer comes during the athlete draft . Building an effective team is important, but knowing when to use each athlete is even more crucial. Since each athlete only participates in one of the four races, saving your best athletes for the later, more lucrative rounds is often an excellent decision.
Obviously, this constant chaos and heavy dose of randomness won’t appeal to everyone. Players who appreciate control or long-term strategies might find the experience a bit too unpredictable. Despite some tactical choices, the outcome often depends on the powers at play and the resulting chain reactions. Those looking for a true strategy game may therefore be left wanting more.
However, if you embrace this philosophy and approach Competitive Athletes as a party game , it’s hard not to have a great time. The game brilliantly modernizes the classic game of Snakes and Ladders by adding a cast of completely wacky characters and situations that are as absurd as they are hilarious. Accessible to everyone, extremely interactive, and boasting excellent replayability, it’s the kind of game that gets everyone at the table laughing and immediately makes you want to start a new race.
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Magical Athlete review
Positives
- Simple and accessible rules.
- The athletes' powers were varied and highly original.
- Constant interactions between players.
- Unpredictable games full of twists and turns.
- Excellent atmosphere around the table.
- Good replayability thanks to the numerous combinations.
- The draft adds a small strategic element.
- A very good family game with a great atmosphere.
Negatives
- Chance plays a significant role.
- A rather limited strategy.
- Chaos can frustrate those who like to be in control.
- Certain chain reactions slow the pace.
- Some powers require consulting the rulebook during the first few games.
