This month we feature Drop It, the latest release from our friends at Thames & Kosmos, as our Game of the Month. Drop It is an abstract strategy game for two to four players or for two teams. Choose a shape, drop it into the drop zone, then check to see if it breaks any of the placement rules. If not, you score points; the higher the stack, the greater the points value. But be careful! If you break any of the placement rules you earn zero points instead! Players continue dropping shapes until all of the shapes have been dropped. The player or team with the most points at the end of the game wins!
The game features a transparent plastic vertical game board where players drop their pieces. This area is referred to as the drop zone. Each player is given nine colored shapes, a score marker, and a bonus score tile. Players will take turns dropping tiles into the drop zone and then checking that none of the landing rules have been broken. The shape you have dropped may not touch another of the same shape, color, or matching marked edge on the side of the drop zone. It is also not allowed to be placed above the top of the drop zone. If you are in violation of any of these rules you score no points for the round. If you do not violate any of these rules you score points as listed on the side of the drop zone and you may score bonus points if your shape is touching any of the bonus circles. Play then proceeds to the next player.
To me, the game feels very nostalgic as it is reminiscent of two of my favorite activities from childhood: Tangrams and Connect Four. The game is very easy to learn and is very fast paced. While the game seems to feature dexterity and luck, it also requires a fair amount of strategy to avoid breaking the landing rules to score points. Thinking a few moves ahead will serve players well in the long run! The game features four variants to increase replay value and fun. A few of the variants include a beginner mode for new players and children and a team mode for larger groups. The game plays very fast and is highly enjoyable – two parallelograms up!
I highly recommend that you give this memorable abstract strategy dexterity game a try next time you visit The Malted Meeple!
Karington Hess is a lifelong gamer whose passions for hospitality and all things game-related led him to Ravenwood Castle, where he served as an Innkeeper before joining The Malted Meeple. When not pouring beers, crafting milkshakes, or teaching boardgames, Karington can be found behind the DM’s screen, weaving intricate stories for his fellow gamers.