Tabletop Talks Week 17

The holidays are all about family! And what brings family together more than cute, cuddly, and occasionally not-so-cuddly animals? So, this week on Tabletop Talks, we thought it would be the perfect time to share a few of our favorite up and coming animal-based board games that are sure to be a roaring success at your next family game night! Whether its strategic zoo management, an epic race to the top of a mountain, or simply some cute animals eating to their heart's content, these games are the exciting, strategically challenging, and family-friendly fun that you need to get through this holiday season!

1. Zoo King

A strategic zoo building card game

What kind of owner would you be if you could own, manage, and expand your own zoo? Will you focus on animal diversity? Public appeal? Profits? Conservation? These are the exciting questions you get to ask yourself in Zoo King from Saratoga Toy and Game! In this set collection game, players take on the role of an aspiring zoo tycoon with their sights set on the title of top zoo owner. Using a combination of drafting, press-your-luck, and currency management mechanics, you must strategize your way to the best zoo possible. With 10 award categories, you have to make smart decisions about what parts of your unique zoo to build up, and which to let go. And, with tons of options to buy animals, build infrastructure, and expand your zoo, Zoo King is perfect for multiple play-throughs. Only through superior strategy, and a little bit of luck can you crush your competition and claim the title, Zoo King!

The team at Saratoga Toy and Game has combined classic strategy with a truly unique theme. Zoo King’s blend of luck, skill, and decision-making is as unique as it is addicting. And with beautifully designed artwork to add some color and immersion to its tight mechanics, this is the perfect game to live out your zookeeper fantasy. Whether you are an animal lover, or just want to dominate your family and friends at the next game night, Zoo King is the perfect game for you!

Zoo King is now playable on Tabletop Simulator in a beautifully designed mod that perfectly captures the excitement of this zoo battle! Check it out here! Also, be sure to back them on Kickstarter and keep an eye on their website for order details!

2. Super Truffle Pigs

A truffle hunting adventure

Nothing is more family-friendly than a game about pigs. But, what if I told you there was a game about superhero pigs? What about a game about superhero pigs on an epic, exciting, and rewarding quest? And what if I told you this game also allows you to dominate your friends and family at your next game night? If you are excited by any of those prospects, you are ready to jump into Super Truffle Pigs right away! In this collaborative movement and programming game, players both control a team of super truffle pigs on a mission to dig up as many truffles as possible as well as a vicious wolf pack standing at the ready to hunt down your competition. Each turn, players must first use actions to collect truffles and complete missions for VP. Then, you have to position and program your wolf pack to hunt down your opponent’s own super pig team. This exciting two-part process guarantees that this game is full of deep strategy and surprising twists and turns!

With its easy-to-learn-impossible-to-master strategy, Super Truffle Pigs is the perfect game for the casual animal lover and hardened table topper in your family. Find the best path to victory or devote yourself to ruthless takedowns of the competition, the choice is yours in this exciting and immediately replayable forest adventure. Whichever path you choose, Super Truffle Pigs is bound to be your next family game night staple!

You can start your super pig quest on Tabletop Simulator with this top-notch mod! Also, be sure to check out their website and successful Kickstarter for more information on the game and where you can buy Super Truffle Pigs!

3. The Big Pig Game

A cooperative food eating game for -seasoned- gamers and families alike!

If you haven’t noticed yet, we here at Tabletop Simulator Blog love pigs. So, we thought the best way to complete this amazing collection of animal-inspired family fun was with the Big Pig Game from Evans Games! In this cooperative food-eating game players take on the role of adorable animals in a friendly food-gobbling competition. Use your actions to select food and then eat it! You can also use your food tokens to get powerful and useful actions that will propel you to victory. The first one to munch all of the food on the board wins! The Big Pig game is a blend of quick to learn but surprisingly deep strategy making it the perfect game for beginners and experts alike. Whether you're looking for a low-key family game night addition or a new cornerstone to a board game tourney, this game will have everyone ready to prove who is the biggest pig!

The Big Pig game was originally created as a family gift and then grew into an exciting animal adventure that mixes an adorable design with sharp mechanics and innovative board design to create a family-friendly masterpiece. And with cute artwork to go along with it, this game will have you ready to play again right away…well maybe after a quick snack!

You can get in on the competition on Tabletop Simulator with this adorable mod! Also, be sure to check out their website for ordering information and details on their Kickstarter re-launch. Happy eating!

4. Yeti Trek

Race across a vast mountain range!

After so many fun family-friendly and animal-focused games, we thought it was about time for an animal that's a little more…mythical. In Yeti Trek from Junk Food Games, each player takes on the role of one of these snowy Sasquatches in a race against an opponent to reach the top of the mountain. Using a combination of multi-dice and movement mechanics, each Yeti must be sure to play smart and climb fast if they want to come out victorious on this chilly quest. Yeti Trek is a quick-to-learn game that is sure to get you into the action right away. And, with its exciting gameplay and cutthroat competition, it’s impossible to just play once as each round will have you finding new paths to the top and strategies to outrace your adversary. And, just to be sure that the next family game night is filled with a little drama, Yeti Trek incorporates an, “I cut, your choice,” dice mechanic that allows each player to limit the options of the other each turn. This cold adventure is the perfect warm-up to your next tabletop session!

Yeti Trek was originally designed for a game jam and the team at Junk Food Games has worked hard to build it into a fully developed high-altitude quest. And with its fun and family-friendly theming, it’s the perfect introductory game…but we think the board game pros will like it too. And who knows…maybe its playful and exciting art will have you questioning if this blizzard-y Bigfoot is real!

The team behind Yeti Trek used Tabletop Simulator to keep up the progress on their creation over the last year and a half. Check out the results with their beautifully made mod!

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