Welcome to the new Game Night Blog Carnival! This is a new feature we’re doing once a month with a few other RPG blogs. If you have an RPG blog, and would like to participate, check out the FAQ at the main Game Night page.
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I wanted a Kung Fu picture and this one was awesome! Photo by richardmasoner on Flickr.
Back in the late 60′s and early 70′s, martial arts as practiced in Asia became somewhat of a fad in America. Bruce Lee was at the top of his career and badly dubbed “chop-socky” movies were at the drive-in. The game I’m going to be discussing this month is called Cookie Fu and uses dice to simulate a one on one “fu” fight. It is a collectible dice game from Blue Kabuto. Normally I don’t bother with collectible games since I like to know exactly what I’m getting for my hard earned cash. I made an exception for this game because it is easy, cheesy, fast, and fun. The premise is that there are 3 clans preparing to fight against the forces of the Dark Cookie threatening the land of Fu. The clans are the Chocolate Ox, Vanilla Hare, and Coconut Monkey. You are a Fu Fighter from one of these clans training in the Way of The Cookie. Each of the clans has a different style that is reflected in their clan specific chi moves. Chi moves are the most powerful moves in the game.
So why is a dice game called Cookie Fu? The chi moves for each clan are provided as fortunes inside fortune cookies that come with the game. Surprisingly, I have not encountered any stale cookies thus far. I am told that the makers of the game take great pains to ensure that the cookies are as fresh as possible. I must admit that a game that comes with its own snack is hard not to like.
Mahon and Eric playing a game of Cookie Fu!
The care taken with the cookies is indicative of the presentation of the game. Cookie Fu is packaged in facsimiles of Chinese food containers. There are two different sizes of container. The small ones are used for booster pack which come in four varieties, one for each clan and a standard non clan specific booster. The larger container is used for the Battle Royale pack which provides enough dice and cookies for two people to play using the Chocolate Ox and Vanilla Hare clans. It is the most cost effective way to start playing Cookie Fu and lets you get straight to the fighting. The instructions are designed like a tri fold take out menu and present the basic moves and standard chi powers as menu items. They also double as screens to hide your dice rolls from your opponent.
Grey playing some Cookie Fu!
Cookie Fu is above all a dice game and the main course of the game is the dice. There are two kinds of dice provided with one type having several subsets. The first type of die is referred to as the Clan Fortune die and is used to determine initiative. Each clan’s die is color coded and has one of three portraits of fu fighters on it. The other dice are Fu dice and come in four varieties each corresponding with the level of “fu” the die represents. The color of the icons on the dice tell you the die type. There are six icons representing “fu” moves. The basic fu dice have white icons and one of each of the six icons. The dice then advance up in “skill” levels by adding more duplicate icons per die allowing a player to customize their fu. The learned dice have two of the same icon followed by master with three of a kind and finally grand master with four of a kind. All levels of dice have a single chi icon. The learned dice icons are yellow, master icons are orange, and grand master icons are green. The dice are a rich dark brown so the icons are really easy to see.
You want Battle Royale Packs! Seriously, they're awesome!
The game is simple to play. Each turn both players roll their allotted Fu dice including the Clan Fortune die. Players then reveal their Clan Fortune die rolls and use what is basically a modified version of rock, paper, and scissors to determine initiative. Once initiative is set then the first player presents dice to attack and the other player defends with the players alternating attacks and defence until they both run out of dice. Turns continue until one player runs out of hit points. When a player hits zero hit points he may do a “parting shot” consisting of his remaining dice to the opposing player. It is possible for both players to be knocked out. This all sounds very mechanical and unexciting. The joy in Cookie Fu is in the presentation by the fighters. This quote from the rules explains it much better than I.
“Important note: Cookie Fu moves work best when shouted with a dramatic stance. STAND UP, have fun, get into it and give it your best “Hiiiiiiyaaaa!!” Facial expressions and gestures are encouraged.”
The Cookie Fu moves that use chi have great names like “Sugary Nerve Strike” or “Bourbon Bean Hamstring” which are a blast to announce old school chop-socky film style. The fact that the game is relatively quick to learn and understand does not detract from a players ability to use good strategy and make wise decisions. We have had a blast playing this one and I highly recommend giving it a try. It’s been like a Carl Douglas song around here lately. Get out there and show that your Fu is strong, Grasshopper.
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The next stop on the Game Night Blog Carnival is Glimm’s Workshop. The previous stop is The ID DM. Be sure to check out the main page of the Game Night Blog Carnival!
