I still feel a little bad about trading away my copy of Draftosaurus, though not for the usual reasons. In our house, that light Antoine Bauza game is still called ‘sweaty dinosaurs.’ We liked the easy gameplay, but the game involved passing around small dinosaur pieces that got very warm by the end. The name stuck. Getting rid of that game felt like giving away a pair of gym shorts used by everyone. I hope the new owner knew what they were getting.
After just three rounds of our first DroPolter game, my kids said, “This feels like we are playing ‘sweaty dinosaurs’ all over again!”
They always want my lucky items
When a ghost appears from under the bed, you grab your collection of lucky items: a cookie, a gem, a ring, a key, and a shell. You keep these charms hidden in one closed hand. Then, a card is revealed showing exactly which charms you need to stop the ghost. The first player to put the correct items on the table—without dropping any extra pieces—grabs the big ghost figure in the middle to win the round. Your charmed hand can open, close, twist, and turn, but you must drop everything using only one hand.
The prize for winning is a small, annoying bell that joins the sweaty mix. Bells are good. The first person to collect five bells wins the game. The catch, as there always is one, is what happens if you drop things you did not mean to? Simply put, you pick them up and start over. However, if you drop one or more bells, they go back to the supply, taking a piece of your pride with them.
The tension in DroPolter comes from trying to hold onto those small, earned bells. They seem to stick to everything else, likely because of sweaty hands.
Why does everyone laugh when I say that?
DroPolter is a short burst of laughter for the family, a nice break between heavier games. The cards show anywhere from one to four objects, creating different challenges. Dropping four out of five items from a hand with no bells tests your speed and dexterity. Likewise, finding a single unique piece and getting it to the table often results in hands crashing together as everyone reaches for the ghost.
The game changes completely when you have three or four bells in your hand. Going for the win requires taking risks and dealing with occasional disappointment. But success feels good. The sound of bells hitting the table brings a mix of frustration and smiles. That smile is the key. DroPolter stays comfortable in its playful lane, creating smiles that match the one printed on the chunky ghost. Even if the game goes through all thirty cards, it stops just short of real frustration, making you want to play again.
Young children with small hands might find it hard to hold and manipulate the objects. A twelve-year-old might crush you with their quick and capable hands. Everyone is focused and in a light mood. When we showed the game to friends, they traded for a copy before they left that evening. Hopefully, it is a new copy so they do not have to think about how many hands have left their mark of sweat behind it.
Oink games rarely leave our house. They take up very little space and often deliver on what they promise. DroPolter might be fun enough to buy two copies, just to see ten players reaching for one ghost in a crowded space. Regardless, do not fear the chaos. DroPolter is a light, wispy winner.
