Playing Spilled Mushrooms was a humbling experience. I thought I was good at both puzzles and card games, but I had a momentary stumbling block during the first “delivery” of the mushroom-collecting card puzzle game. That’s why I underestimate games with cute animals on the cover art.
In Playdate’s game Spilled Mushrooms, you’re a mushroom delivery boy who’s made a huge mistake. I spilled the mushrooms (of course) and somehow did so in such an extreme way that they were scattered across multiple habitats. . Oops! It will take a week to collect them all and deliver them to the desired location. But in what sounds like my dream scenario, you’ve befriended a wild animal, so you have a support network of animals willing to help you correct your mistakes.
This game requires some simple math and a lot of strategic thinking. Each animal can collect a specified number of mushrooms for the number of days written next to the hourglass on the card. For example, a hippo can pick up five mushrooms at once, but only for one day. Porcupines, on the other hand, can only catch one mushroom at a time, but for six days.
Each animal also has unique characteristics that may interact with other cards in the habitat. While moose and elephants increase the collecting ability of other animals, grizzly bears do the opposite. The platypus…well, the platypus is confused. As you play, you earn small tokens that help you fill your deck with the cards you want. Only one card can be placed per turn, and there are three habitats that must be completed over the seven in-game days that make up a round. Each of these sites has a different number of mushrooms.
Once I cleared the cobwebs from my brain and got the hang of the flow of the game, I was able to pick myself back up and start winning some rounds. However, it is not a given that you will be able to successfully collect all the mushrooms on the first (or second) try. Puzzles take minutes to solve and are automatically generated, so you get something new every time. In some cases, it can be quite difficult. Spilled Mushrooms also gives you the option to create a custom delivery by selecting the habitat, number of mushrooms, and available animal cards.
Despite its challenge, Spilled Mushrooms is a really relaxing game that keeps me occupied for a long time. It’s reminiscent of Wingspan with its tranquil, nature-focused soundtrack, making it perfect to pick up when you want to relax at the end of the day or, conversely, when you want to sit back and think while drinking your morning coffee. . This will probably be in my regular gaming rotation for a while.
