Eggs of Ostrich Review

Eggs of Ostrich Cover

I don't remember how I heard about Eggs of Ostrich. I mean how would anyone ever hear about a game so absurdly niche?

3 players only? Not available anywhere? Obscure Japanese game? Needlessly provocative cartoon ostrich art? This game has it all.

Oh, and it's a perfect 10 out of 10.

COMPONENTS & PRESENTATION

I can't really speak to production quality because I homebrewed my own copy, using screenshot images from a Tabletop Simulator mod I found (lord knows who put it on there). So my copy is blurry, in an old Dell mouse box, and using some stones I found as gems.

None of that matters, as the game transcends its pieces, even while the bizarrely posed ostrich images make you wonder who was in charge of art direction, and what their relationships with ostriches is. In fact, I'm sure I'd rather not know.

RULES QUALITY

I'm sure the English rules uploaded to BGG by matador (a true hero of the people) are not the original rules as written by the designer, so I don't think it's fair to pass too much judgment on them as I have no idea if they've been translated, or if they're official. Suffice to say, they do a good enough job to learn the game from.

Thank you matador.

If I had one critique, its that it was not totally clear what happens with your card once you've busted the corresponding bag. We play it that if your 3 bag busts, you lose your 3-card, but I could make the argument that being able to hold your dead cards in hand for use on Amber turns might work too.

GAMEPLAY

Eggs of Ostrich is a game played in the mind. It is the essence of "yomi" - the feeling of trying to read the mind of your opponent. What we might call "double thinking" or, certainly, second guessing. It is the fun, tense space of being forced to commit to a choice at the same time as an opponent, hoping to correctly anticipate their intentions, and thwarting them through equal parts instinct, intuition, and sometimes blind luck. This game is FULL of that feeling.

The game is played over 10 rounds. Each round an ostrich card is revealed, that shows between 4 and 10 eggs that the three players will be splitting among themselves.

The players then choose one of the cards from their hand, that correspond with their bags that can hold 2,3,5 or 7 eggs. Each player, crucially, also has a pass card.

Once everyone has chosen a card, they are revealed and the eggs on offer are split evenly between all the players who didn't pass. The eggs go into the corresponding bag of the player based on their chosen card and the next round starts.

So what you get is situations like a 9 being revealed. There's talk at the table: "Let's all play our 3s, then we get 3 each, fill our bags, everyone's happy, yeah?" Of course. What a good idea. We should definitely do that. No right thinking person would play a pass to result in you flooding your bag with too many eggs, causing it to break...would they?

You score points for filling your bag perfectly (e.g. getting exactly 5 eggs in your 5 bag is worth 5 points) or you get half points for partially filled bag.

The rub is that a card you play one turn is not available the next, meaning you can't just spam your Pass card and must get good value out of it. Likewise, you won't always have the bag available that you really want to fill this turn.

Then there's the Amber - those rare, precious 4-point gems that are awarded to a player only if they are the only player to play a PASS that turn. Let the mind games begin...again.

This is a game that will make you howl with devilish laughter, at the misfortune of your "brothers" - misfortune that you are personally responsible for. But they will undoubtedly pay you back in kind, and you might feel the pain of busting a 7-point bag after a sudden, unexpected influx of eggs.

Everything comes together beautifully - the bizarre theme, the absurd artwork, the tactile joy of putting eggs on your cards, and the hold-your-breath moments before cards are revealed.

I wish I could get an official copy of this game, but sadly it may never see a reprint again.

OVERALL - 10/10

Eggs of Ostrich is an underground masterpiece of a micro game with big moments, dripping tension, and utter hilarity. This is what playing is supposed to feel like. You're not solving, you are speculating and guessing and using what you know about the other people at the table. This game delivers exactly what it promises. It doesn't compromise on its experience by trying to accommodate a higher player count. I'm sure they could've made a 4 player version work, but this is clearly best at 3 players and I love that it boldly leans into that.

Undoubtedly this is not a game for everyone, but boy is it a game for me.