Ah, Companion Quest- a board game that seduces you with the promise of a serene, Keebler cookie elf wonderland, only to ambush your brain with puzzles that will have you second-guessing every decision. Don’t be fooled by its saccharine artwork; beneath its brightly colored facade lurks a test of critical thinking, teamwork, some light arithmetic, and plenty of mental agility.
You kick things off by picking one of several colorful, eccentric gnome characters. I’m partial to Stibbles, the embodiment of pint-sized bravado (in my personal headcanon).
Each has a strong one-time-use power, as well as a specific special companion. These companions aren’t just for show…they offer all sorts of dice mitigation options and you are able to tame more wild companions as the game progresses, building a formidable tableau by the end. Your goal as the gnome is to catch Gugu, our mischievous portal-opening antagonist.
Every turn, you pick dice of every hue imaginable, roll them, and then place them where you can. Quest cards have all sorts of requirements, such as “odd purple die” and “even green die”. Complete a quest card, and you’re rewarded with a new dice hand size and bonus perks, like new companions.
Meanwhile, you also have to tackle Portal Problems which sometimes demand specifics as finicky as “yellow 4” or any colored dice arranged from highest to lowest. Your one resource in the game, cookies aka “snacks”, gives you the ability to potentially tame wild companions to add to your tableau. These are absolutely vital for completing quests and Portal Problems. The game is actually quite difficult if you don’t focus on adding more.
Now, Gugu isn’t just your nemesis…he’s also your game timer. He needs to amble his way along four spaces on his Mischief Meter track before escaping into a portal. Every solved quest card nudges your gnome forward one space on the Mischief Meter. For the Portal Problems: if you solve none, Gugu moves forward one space; solve one, he stays put; and solve two, he actually moves backwards. If your gnome lands on the same space as Gugu, you capture him and victory is yours.
**Strategy Spoilers: Read at Your Own Risk**
The real challenge comes from trying to balance the quest cards with the ever-pressing Portal Problems. Initially, I devoted most of my resources to taming the portals in a desperate bid to keep Gugu from sprinting ahead. That strategy was about as effective as trying to plug a leak with a paper towel. Shifting my focus to the quest cards not only unlocked additional dice but also brought in more companions. Building your tableau with these companion cards is a blast, and their fun powers are your secret weapon to salvaging your otherwise inevitable decline.
Even in its prototype glory, the components are well designed, and every element, from the cards to the dice, looks like it was crafted with both fun and function in mind. It all sets the whimsical mood nicely.
I originally tried this game as a potential option for a fun kid game, but it completely surprised me. Not only was it a joy to play, but it’s also one I’d happily include in my regular game rotation. The only drawback is the artwork makes it look deceptively innocent. I worry that might make some adult gamers overlook it, but in my opinion, it absolutely deserves a spot on their shelves too. In that sense, the art is almost a little at odds with the strategy required for this game.
In a nutshell, Companion Quest is perfect for anyone who enjoys a lighthearted, yet challenging game that offers more than just mindless dice rolling. It may be a bit demanding at first (part of its charm), but that challenge makes it an engaging brain teaser for both kids and adults. So cozy up with a cookie, roll those dice, and prepare for an evening where your brilliant strategy crumbles under the relentless application of Murphy’s law- proving that if anything can go wrong, it will- and you’ll have a good time doing it!
Andy