4 the Birds (2016)

4 the Birds is the board game in which you will use beak-and-taloned strategy as well as a peck of luck to be the first to "flock" four of your birds together in a tree besieged by a menagerie of other birds trying to do the same. By constantly balancing the goal of flocking your own birds and "Flock-Blocking" opponents' birds, a see-saw battle for avian supremacy ensues — and beware the non-player bird-baddies (crows and hawks) that can swoop in to un-nest a would-be winner.

Gameplay is simple. Each player rolls two dice on their turn to indicating coordinates on the game board grid (the tree) to place and move your six birds on the board. Each turn a player has the choice to place a bird at the rolled coordinate or play one of seven Action Cards as they work to achieve the winning formation of a four bird flock (either a square or straight line on the grid).

• Fast and easy to learn and play
• Finely balanced mix of luck and strategy
• Territorial disputes between birds is resolved via novel "Pecking Order"
• Introduces a unique slide mechanic when birds vie for the same spot on the boards
• Non-player spoiler-birds (crows and hawks) add unique obstacles as well as chain-reaction board-reorganizing sliding and scattering
• Truly an abstract "gateway" game that's great for kids' spatial and numerical skills (and even better for adults who are out of practice)