Gravity Three: Lightweight Games with Light Weights

Gravity Three is three weight-based games in one. How well can you judge a weight by feel alone?

Published by itten, Gravity Three is a 2-3 player game with a roughly 15-minute play time. Each of the three games uses little, round weight tokens. There are fifteen of them, in three different colors, and are numbered one-to-five with five being the heaviest.

Memory

The first game is Memory. All the tokens are placed with their number face-down on the table. On your turn, you may lift three of them. You do not look at the number; you are only testing their weight. You cannot test the weight of a token more than once and you cannot check the same color token back-to-back. You then select one of the tokens you tested and place it in front of you. You cannot select a color of token that you selected on a previous turn.

After each player has taken three turns, they each flip over their three tokens to reveal their numbers and determine the winner based on the numbers on their tokens. Three identical numbers is the highest scoring combination. So, for example, three 3’s will beat a 5, 4, 4. Three consecutive numbers is the next strongest scoring combination, such as 4, 3, 2. Finally, if no one has either of those, it is the three-digit number that the three tokens make, so for example 5 5 4 would beat 3 2 2.

Comparison

The next game is Comparison. With the back of the box and the included support stand, a see-saw is made. The back of the box shows an A, B, and C spot on both ends. Each player takes a hand of cards that has two A’s, two B’s, and one C. Each player also gets a set of tokens of a single color.

In a two-player game, each player takes turns choosing one of their cards to play. This is the spot that they will be placing their token on their side of the see-saw. Each player then selects a token and places it on the see-saw, with the number side face-down. The player who gets the see-saw to tilt over to their side wins the round. The tokens are removed, still not revealing their number, and set aside. They cannot be used again for the rest of the game. A new round begins. The first player to win three rounds wins the game.

This can also be played as a three-player game. It is played the same, with all players taking turns revealing their card choice, but one player will wait until the other two have compared tokens before placing their token against whomever remains.

Doubt

The final game is Doubt. The tokens are shuffled face-down, three are removed at random, and the remaining ones are dealt out evenly to the players.

Each round, the die is rolled. Players then must choose whether to play a token or pass. If they play a token, they are claiming its number matches the number on the die. If there is already a played token, the new one is placed on top of it.

After everyone has played or passed, players take turns picking up the stack. If a player believes someone has bluffed about the token number he played, he may reveal the tokens. If a player bluffed, he takes all the played tokens into his collection. If a player called a bluff and was wrong, he keeps all the tokens. If no one calls a bluff, then the tokens are removed from the game.

The first player to get rid of all his tokens wins the game.

Review

Gravity Three has a very unique idea: putting weight at the core of its gameplay. It’s an unusual idea and one we haven’t seen anywhere before. The weights also provide a very tactile experience, which is fun to play and interact with.

The three included games do feel a little like filler, though, and like they weren’t entirely sure what to do with the mechanic. The comparison one was our favorite when playing with two players, as it was fun to try to deduce what weights your opponent has likely already played and guess what they’re likely to lead with next. The three-person version is a little messy but still enjoyable.

We also enjoyed the memory game well enough. It’s a fun, light game to dip into and a fun twist on the classic memory game. The scoring system also ensures everyone can stay in the running, even if they choose badly early on.

Doubt was our least favorite of the three. It was an interesting idea to blend weight with bluffing, but it didn’t flow together very naturally. Maybe we were bad at judging weights, but it all felt a bit arbitrary once the weights were stacking on top of each other.

In general, it felt like the weight concept could have been used for one really solid and unique party game. Instead, Gravity Three gives three, fun enough filler games that don’t feel particularly special, and are rather adaptations of other games we’ve played before, just with weight used as the core mechanic. Such a unique mechanic deserved a little better.

The final result is still enjoyable, unique, and has the advantage of being very portable and playable at restaurants or over lunch. A good lightweight game when you want a little something to play.

Pros: Unique weight-based mechanic, highly tactile components, very portable

Cons: The three included games lack substance

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