Go on a Loony Quest in this Game of Speedy Drawing and Spatial Awareness

You have thirty seconds to complete the quest and avoid the traps, in this tricky drawing game of speed, spatial sense, and memory.

In Loony Quest, each player has thirty seconds to draw on their transparent screen, using lines, circles and dots to complete objectives. Then lay the screens over the game board to check how accurate you were.

Gameplay

Players choose which of the seven worlds they will be playing through and then takes the six level boards of that world, and return the others to the box. The first level is placed in the box. Whenever you put in a new level at the start of the round, you always rotate it 90 degrees based on how the previous level was orientated, so that it will be facing a different player each time.

Each player has a transparent screen and a dry erase marker. After the level has been placed on the game board, the thirty second sand timer is flipped and each player draws on their transparent screens in an attempt to complete the quest dictated by the current level. There are multiple different quest types, and three types of drawings you may be called on to do: lines, circles, and dots. For example, you may have to draw a line from point a to point b, draw multiple lines to connect several objects, circle certain things, or draw a dot over a type of item. Some quests can only be completed once, while others can be completed multiple times, scoring points for each time you complete it. Your drawings cannot intersect with each other and you cannot have a type of drawing not called for by the quest. Each map also has side quests for bonus or penalty points.

After the timer runs out, players immediately stop. Players then take turns laying their screen over the board, matching the orientation of your drawing. You will check to see if your drawings completed the quest and if you earn or lose any points according to the side quest, then move your token on the score tracker.

Some levels also allow you to earn perks or penalty tokens if your drawing overlaps the token spaces on the level. Perks will either give you a bonus or allow you to give an opponent a handicap when you chose to play it (such as forcing them to draw with a partially blocked screen during the next round). Penalty tokens, meanwhile, give you a handicap such as forcing you to use your non-dominant hand for the next round or keep one eye closed. The player with the most points after the final level wins the game.

Review

Loony Quest is a really fun, fast-paced game. You move from one level to the next rapidly, with the slowest moment of gameplay being when each player checks their work. However, this phase can also be a lot of fun, as it’s entertaining to check other players’ drawings and not just your own, so it doesn’t actually feel like downtime.

Between the perks and the penalties there is also plenty of variety sprinkled throughout the levels to shake up gameplay, as well as some additional challenges you’ll encounter in the later levels. You can even unlock special stages to earn bonus points, which ties in well with Loony Quest’s video-game-esque worlds and levels.

Players who have played before do have somewhat of an advantage over people who are new to Loony Quest, particularly in levels when you’re trying to quickly search for certain objects.

The general component quality is good; with the transparent boards being sturdy and cloths included to wipe away drawings (an addition not always included in games with dry-erase markers, but which should be). There is also some really fun artwork and theming done on the levels. Each world has its own unique setting such as an ice world or a jungle world, which is a nice touch and gives the game some enjoyable extra flavor. There is also a good progression of difficulty from one world to the next, with the final world (which is the only one with only four levels) being truly fiendish.

Loony Quest is fresh, unique and well-produced. If you enjoy real time games or are looking for a good family game, check it out.

Pro: Unique mechanics, great artwork, fast gameplay

Cons: People who have played before can have a distinct advantage

Disclosure: we received a complimentary review copy of this game.