Drip, Drip, Drip on the Heads of the Kappa Bros!

Drip water onto the plate and try not to have it lose balance or spill, as you transfer it from Kappa head to Kappa head.

From the Japanese game company itten, Kappa Bros! is a game of dexterity, water, and just a little luck of the roll.

Gameplay

To set up the game, you need to get a cup of water and set it to the side. You also need to play somewhere where it’s okay for things to get a bit wet. The two Kappa brothers are placed on the table and you place the plate on top of one of their heads.

On your turn, you shake the two fish tokens in your hand and toss them. Depending on which sides land face-up, you must drop water onto the plate twice, drop water onto the plate once and then move the plate, or simply move the plate.

When you drop water onto the plate, you first dip the game’s straw into the cup of water, then cover the top of the straw with your finger to keep the water inside the straw, before moving it over the plate and removing your finger so that all the water from the straw falls onto the plate. When putting the straw into the cup, you may choose how deep to put the straw in, just so long as at least some water is in the straw when you drop the water onto the plate.

To move the plate, you hold it by the edge and move it from the top of one Kappa’s head to the other.

After you have performed your action, it is now the next player’s turn. The first player to spill any water loses the game and all remaining players are the winners.

Review

Kappa Bros! Is a very light, extremely casual little game, but still manages to be quite unique. We’ve never encountered anything quite like it before in game form. The actual mechanics are enjoyable. Who hasn’t played around with straws and trapping part of your drink inside them? Finding a game that actually turns this into a competition is both funny and enjoyable.

It is also a very fast and compact game. It all packs inside one small box (although you have to provide your own cup for the game). The two Kappa brothers are placed together for putting back into the box, and they are a bit annoying to take apart again, but the components seem sturdy enough. You could also easily play with a towel spread out underneath the components and not too much water is likely to spill as you play.

While the box says you can play with two players or more, this seems best suited as a two-player game, with the back and forth interaction, fast turns, and minimal waiting time this entails.

Kappa Bros! is definitely not a game you’re going to play non-stop, over and over again, but it is refreshing, unique, and clever, and you’re unlikely to have anything quite like it in your gaming collection.

Pros: A very unique and fun idea, plays extremely fast, takes up very little space

Cons: Extremely light, should not be played with more than two or three players at most, two game pieces are a bit annoying to take apart when setting up the game

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